Bengaluru,  Karnataka would build an ecosystem in cities and towns across the southern state to attract investments beyond Bengaluru, whose stretched infrastructure is stressed out, a minister said on Thursday.

"Technology ecosystem will be built in Dharwad, Hubballi, Mangaluru, Mysuru and Shivamogga for investments in IT, IT-enabled services, business processing outsourcing (BPO), electronic system design manufacturing (ESDM) and telecom sectors to create thousands of jobs," said Deputy Chief Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan here.

The state government's new IT policy 2020-2025 enables prospective and present firms to look beyond Bengaluru to replicate its success in the technology space.

"With the Covid pandemic forcing tech firms to allow their techies to work from home or anywhere, companies can set up their operations beyond Bengaluru in cities and towns across the state," Narayan said.

Cities beyond Bengaluru are foreseeing investment opportunities and employment potential, with thrust in education and infrastructure.

"The new IT policy is focused on a distributed IT/ITeS model that facilitates growth through industrial development and employment generation in cities Beyond Bengaluru," asserted Narayan, who also holds IT, BT, science and technology portfolios.

The policy also aims to evolve a distributed IT and BPM model with processing capabilities, including adequate telecom (bandwidth), power and other infrastructure to support the human resource development and growth of the innovation ecosystems in these new economic regions.

The state government has also initiated a 'New Age Innovation Network' (NAIN) as a network of incubation centres in 30 engineering colleges in other cities. So far, 470 projects have been funded, 181 prototypes built and 13 patents filed.

The state government has also set up common instrumentation facilities and technology business Incubators in academic institutions across the state to catapult innovation and R&D in Belagavi, Mangaluru, Mysure and Shivamogga.

"Incubation and R&D infrastructure centres have been setup in Bagalkote, Dharwad and Mysuru to promote the biotechnology sector," the minister said.

A task force has been set up with industry, academia and other stakeholders as partners to prepare a white paper on going beyond Bengaluru to promote other cities and towns across the southern state.