The pearl of the plateau; Bengaluru, officially Bengaluru, is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Located in the south east of the Deccan plateau, Bengaluru is one of the most populous cities in India and an urban agglomeration.

Bengaluru has come a long way indeed. A city acquires its culture, its heritage and history from the influences of its rulers who leave behind their legacy in form of tradition architecture, infrastructure the list goes on. Bengaluru's history has witnessed these influences and the city has become a melting pot of these kingdoms that once ruled. Passed on from the rule of the Western Gangas, to the Cholas; the Chalukya-cholas and also the Hoysala Empire; all helped in shaping this great land.  Modern Bangalore was founded by a vassal of the Vijayanagara Empire, Kempe Gowda I. After his fall, the Bijapur army took over and then the Mughals who sold Bengaluru to Mysore. The kingdom later passed to Hyder Ali's son Tippu Sultan, known as the Tiger of Mysore.

Bengaluru was eventually incorporated into the British Indian Empire after Tippu Sultan was defeated and killed in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War.

During the British Raj, it became a centre of colonial rule in South India. The establishment of the Bengaluru Cantonment brought in large numbers of migrants from other parts of the country.

To give development a further impetus, telephone lines were laid, a health officer was appointed to the city. At the turn of the century, Bengaluru became the first city in India to have electricity. Infrastructure improved and communication became easier. Bengaluru`s reputation was powered through several projects such as the construction of public buildings, hospitals, parks and gardens too were planned to beautify the city. Not surprisingly today, it is also referred to as the garden city of India.

After Indian independence in August 1947, public sector employment and education were the focus areas. This provided opportunities for the rest of the state to migrate to the city. Bengaluru experienced rapid growth, which saw the arrival of many immigrants from northern Karnataka. By the following decade, Bengaluru's manufacturing base continued to expand with the establishment of private companies which set up their manufacturing plants in the city.

Besides manufacturing industries, biotechnology and space technology also found their home in Bengaluru. So did the automotive industry, giants like Toyota, Hindustan Motors and Volvo Trucks. In June 1972, the Government of India set up the Space Commission and Department of Space (DOS). India's premier space research organization, the ISRO was created and headquartered in Bengaluru. 

The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) dedicated to research and development activities for indigenous fighter aircraft for the Indian Air Force found its way to this city where the sky was the limit. 

There was a sudden spurt in development, and capital investors from all over the country poured in and purchased property and set up businesses. There was a boom in the real estate market. 

Texas Instruments became the first multinational to set up base in Bengaluru. And thus, began the story. A geographical phenomenon, of a valley in a plateau was beginning to take shape. The Silicon Valley of the East. This is fashioned around the original Silicon Valley, based around Santa Clara Valley, California, which is the nucleus of IT companies in the United States.
 
Today, after decades of progress, Bengaluru is the nation’s leading Information technology employer and exporter. The road travelled as indicated in preceding texts is testimony to what laid the ground for this city’s great achievement. How did Bengaluru evolve into becoming India’s Technology Giant? 

With the infrastructure and economic development as a base, the central government heavily invested in the public sector in Bengaluru. This is because Bengaluru enjoys a strategic advantage. It is geographically out of reach of Pakistan and China. Seeing this advantage the government knows they could develop and sustain this geography undisturbed. There was heavy outlay in terms of science, knowledge and technology. 

Karnataka's political leaders played a pivotal role in the development of Information Technology and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) in Bengaluru. Mr. R. K. Baliga, a visionary, proposed the concept of developing the electronic city in the early 1970s and he met with stiff resistance and skepticism from his peers. However, he was supported by the then Chief Minister Mr. D. Devaraj Urs who approved the project. This laid the foundation for the Electronics City.

Mr. R. K. Baliga’s agency purchased 335 acres of land for its Electronics City project, which was meant to establish an industrial park in Bangalore. Destiny’s child was an obvious success. The journey had just begun. In time, companies like 3M, Hewlett Packard and Siemens and many others set up shop in Electronic City. Besides, Infosys and Wipro, India's largest software companies are also headquartered there. The ministry of Information Technology also set up the Software Technology Parks at Electronics City in 1991, the first center to be Internet-enabled in India. 

In the present day, as an emergent metropolis, Bengaluru houses some of the most reputed and technologically advanced institutions that fuel a huge portion of world business and also is a huge cash generator. This technology is well supported by educational and research institutions that have mushroomed in Bengaluru. 

Within the last decade, this blossoming of the city’s economy and the establishment and success of high technology firms in Bengaluru has led to the growth of Information Technology in India. IT firms in Bengaluru take up almost 40% of India's one million strong IT talent pool. Bengaluru accounts for the highest IT-related exports in the country and is a huge contributor to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product. 

However, with all of this, as in any upcoming city, the infrastructure should be able to support the city’s growth. This has been a shortcoming with Bengaluru’s development. Various IT firms voiced their displeasure about the lack of progress on the infrastructural front. The city has challenges of long intercity commutes, high cost of land and labor, problems with environment and poor infrastructure. The government has begun addressing these concerns so as to sustain growth. 

The turn of the millennium brought a new twist to Bengaluru’s high tech story as the city witnessed the growth of internet based technologies which resulted in the dotcom boom. Obviously, this led to further development and the establishment of various domestic companies and arrival of foreign multinationals. The media began highlighting Bengaluru’s achievement in Information technology and also correlating the contribution to national wealth. The usage of the term "Silicon Valley of India" to refer to Bengaluru grew in local media and as time progressed, in international media too. Such was Bengaluru’s prominence as an IT major, that even the US media began raising serious questions such as, "Is the Next Silicon Valley Taking Root in Bengaluru?" 

It would be important to stop here and reflect as to how a wise investment can reap manifold benefits. Bengaluru, the high tech gem of India is a perfect testimony to the fact that knowledge is priceless and that investment in intangibles together with advanced technology can be a marriage made in heaven.