Obituary: Man behind ‘Brand Bengaluru’, the IT hub

Former External Affairs Minister and Karnataka Chief Minister SM Krishna passed away at his residence on Tuesday morning. He left behind wife Prema and daughters Malavika and Shambhavi. The 92-year-old veteran was ailing for quite some time.

Krishna held prominent positions throughout his career as External Affairs Minister, Maharashtra Governor, Chief Minister of Karnataka, Speaker of Karnataka Legislative Assembly and minister in the Karnataka Government.

As Chief Minister of Karnataka (1999-2004), he was credited with laying a strong foundation for the growth of IT and biotechnology industries in Karnataka and building the “Brand Bengaluru”.

SM Krishna and Y2K (the millennium bug) happened to Karnataka concurrently in 1999 and were instrumental in unleashing big-bang tech growth in the state.

From being a sleepy place known for its temperate weather, Bengaluru quickly emerged as the IT hub of the country touted as the “Silicon Valley of India”.

The kidnapping of Kannada matinee idol Rajkumar by notorious forest brigand Veerappan also took place during Krishna’s tenure as Chief Minister. Rajkumar was finally released after 109 days in captivity, easing the pressure on the state government.

Krishna’s tenure as Minister of External Affairs (2009-2011) is remembered for an embarrassing gaffe in 2011 when he accidentally began to read out the Portuguese Foreign Minister’s speech at the United Nations. As External Affairs Minister Krishna also organised a couple of high-profile External Affairs Ministry events in Bengaluru, including a Russia-India-China Foreign Minister-level conference.