“This ranking is not just a number; it reflects the structural resilience and readiness of Karnataka’s innovation economy.” — IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge
Bengaluru climbed seven spots to reach the 14th place in the Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) 2025, from 21st last year. Among the Indian cities ranked in the report, Bengaluru tops the chart, followed by Delhi in 29th position and Mumbai in 40th.
The report, unveiled by innovation ecosystem development consultant Startup Genome at Viva Technology 2025 — an annual technology conference held in Paris — ranks ecosystems based on performance, funding, market reach, talent and experience, knowledge and emerging AI-native strength.
Silicon Valley, New York City, and London came in the top three positions. Bengaluru was ranked number 5 among the Top 50 AI cities globally.
Maturing ecosystem
“In the last year alone, Bengaluru-Karnataka has evolved from “rising star” to standing firmly among the titans of the global startup economy,” the report said.
It cited a mix of factors such as billion-dollar exits, deep sectoral strength, government-led capital interventions, and one of the richest talent ecosystems in the world as the reason behind the city’s strong performance.
Among the examples highlighted are Swiggy’s public debut with a $12 billion valuation, which was one of the largest IPOs to come out of India, GoDigit’s $3.6 billion public listing, Indegene’s valuation at $1.3 billion and Blackbuck’s $1 billion IPO.
“These success stories weren’t anomalies; they were the results of a deep, maturing ecosystem that also saw total ecosystem value reach $136 billion in 2024. Bengaluru-Karnataka also produced 32 unicorns between 2020 and 2024, proving its capacity to consistently scale high-potential startups into global contenders,” read the report.
Proactive policies
Between 2020 and 2024, $38 billion of VC funding flowed into the region marking strong investor confidence.
The report also termed the startup policies of the State as ‘decisive’ and ‘proactive.’ The report highlighted how the state government, in its 2025 budget, announced a Fund of Funds initiative and earmarked ₹100 crore for Deep Tech development.
“This ranking is not just a number; it reflects the structural resilience and readiness of the State’s innovation economy. Bengaluru has always been a builder’s city, and our rise in the GSER shows how our ecosystem’s potential is translating into global outcomes,” said IT-BT minister Priyank Kharge, who joined a panel discussion at the event.
Published – June 13, 2025 11:04 pm IST