Boosting Air Connectivity for Mangaluru’s IT Growth
Coastal Karnataka is on its way to becoming a key IT hub, thanks to its growing tech infrastructure, skilled workforce, and renowned educational institutions. However, experts stress that enhanced air connectivity to major international destinations is crucial for the sector’s expansion in the region.
During a recent panel discussion at ‘Mangaluru Technovanza,’ Kamal Karanth, co-founder of Xpheno, shared an experience where a foreign company inquired about Mangaluru’s international flight availability when considering it for their Indian operations. While the city is connected to West Asia, it still lacks direct links to other global hubs.
Notably, many mid-sized and small businesses in coastal Karnataka serve global clients, yet most international connections to the region pass through Bengaluru or Mumbai. The Mangaluru IT taskforce, in talks with Capt Brijesh Chowta, Member of Parliament from Dakshina Kannada, has advocated for direct international flights to key destinations outside West Asia. They have proposed exploring code-sharing agreements with international airlines to improve regional connectivity.
Rohith Bhat, CEO of 99Games Pvt Ltd and lead industry anchor of the Mangaluru Cluster of Karnataka Digital Economy Mission, highlighted that Mangaluru is well-linked to West Asian cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which offer onward connections to Europe and the US. He suggests that Air India could play a pivotal role by offering flights from Mangaluru to these cities, thus facilitating smooth connections to global destinations.
Currently, Air India Express offers West Asia flights, and Bhat recommends a simple switch to Air India services for easier international access to Mangaluru.
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