A Google search homes in on out-ofthe-box thinking here

Four web-based, home-grown ventures given the Innovation Corps award

In a bid to increase collaboration with the Karnataka government, Internet giant Google Inc. announced the launch of a joint initiative with the Karnataka State Innovation Council (KSInC). itled Innovation Cor!s, the initiative currentl" focusses on identif"ing and encouraging home#grown innovation, !articularl" those that have leveraged information technolog" (I ). $t the announcement of the first Innovation Cor!s awards, the council launched a %&#!age re!ort, Innovation Karnataka, which recommends a slew of initiatives to nurture innovation in the State. It also details several e'am!les of tech#enabled innovation that have alread" made their mark( these include e#commerce ventures such as )li!kart and *ed+us and online education initiative such as ,ducate. he re!ort, based on in!uts from -innovators. in the State, recommends that the government su!!ort entre!reneurs doing business online, nurture a /trans!arent and !redictable regulator" environment0 for online !latforms and digital content creators, and im!rove internet access and I infrastructure in the State and u!skill the "oung talented workforce. A downturn

he re!ort notes that Karnataka, which ranks %1th among Indian States in human develo!ment inde', has seen a decrease in !rofitabilit" in the I 2I eS business, !articularl" in the face of increasing overseas com!etition. $s !art of the joint initiative to encourage innovators, Google Inc. and the Karnataka State Innovation Council gave awa" awards to State#based innovations bus ticketing service *ed+us, online Kannada !ortal Kanaja, online health !ortal m3hil and the citi4en services deliver" scheme Sakala. he awards were evenl" distributed between !ublic or State#run services and !rivate entre!reneurial ventures that have made a social im!act. S!eaking at the interactive session here, Karnataka State Innovation Council chair!erson 5.6. Khincha said7 /In these challenging times, Karnataka must sta" ahead of the curve and this can be done b" fuelling innovation. 8e must am!lif" the im!act of web#driven innovation ventures.0 Changed the image Shalini *ajneesh, 3irector, Sakala, said that the scheme had managed to /change the brand image of the State government0. She told The Hindu that the scheme would launch its online !ortal on $!ril 9, making all 9:& services accessible through the website. *ajago!alan of the Kanaja !ortal said that the challenge toda" was to reach out to the large Kannada#knowing !o!ulation on the web. /)or this we need some disru!tive tech7 we are thinking of a voice#based !ortal where browsing can ha!!en through voice. his will be a game changer.0 Innovation all around ;alitesh Katragadda, countr" head, India 6roduct, Google India, said that innovation is all around in India. /8alk through Chick!et or Commercial Street, and "ou see all sorts of innovation. he" ma" not be

scalable but the".re all born out of innovative ideas. his initiative is to !ick innovation that uses the e'traordinar" !otential of the internet.0