Bengaluru Joins Global Elite as Top 12 Tech Powerhouse: CBRE Report
New Delhi, May 27 – Bengaluru has solidified its position on the global technology map, earning a spot among the world’s top 12 tech powerhouses alongside innovation giants like San Francisco, New York, London, and Tokyo. The ranking comes from a new report released Tuesday by real estate consultancy CBRE, which highlighted the city’s rapidly growing tech ecosystem, robust AI talent, and surging VC inflows.
Asia’s Largest Tech Talent Pool
Bengaluru is now recognized as Asia-Pacific’s largest tech talent hub, with over 1 million tech professionals. It shares this distinction with Beijing and Shanghai, underscoring its pivotal role in shaping the global digital economy.
The CBRE report pointed to Bengaluru’s leadership in artificial intelligence (AI), calling it the Indian city with the highest concentration of AI talent. This puts it in the same league as San Francisco and New York Metro, long hailed as epicentres of AI innovation.
Young, Skilled, and Growing
One of Bengaluru’s greatest assets is its demographic advantage. With 75.5% of its population in the working-age bracket, it ranks 4th among the top 12 global tech cities. Between 2019 and 2024, Bengaluru saw a 2.4% growth in its working-age population, one of the highest globally.
This youthful, tech-savvy population has helped power a 12% increase in tech employment from 2018 to 2023, keeping pace with global hiring trends in the digital and knowledge economy.
Backed by Unicorns and Institutions
Bengaluru’s reputation as India’s Silicon Valley is also supported by its vibrant startup ecosystem, which includes 28 unicorns and a rich network of Global Capability Centres (GCCs). These institutions are instrumental in anchoring high-value work in areas like AI, data science, engineering, and product development.
Favorable business regulations, combined with world-class educational institutions, have made the city a magnet for global tech investment and innovation.
$3.3 Billion in VC Funding Fuels AI Innovation
In 2024 alone, Bengaluru attracted 140 venture capital deals amounting to $3.3 billion, including 34 AI-specific deals. This influx of capital highlights the city’s growing status as a global AI investment hotspot.
According to CBRE, this combination of cost competitiveness, deep talent pool, and long-term growth potential continues to draw in both global investors and tech majors.
India’s Tech Momentum Beyond Bengaluru
While Bengaluru leads the charge, other Indian cities are also making significant strides.
Delhi-NCR:
- 183 VC deals worth $1.9 billion
- 42 deals in AI
- Home to 15 unicorns and 16 IPOs
Mumbai:
- 167 deals worth a massive $4.9 billion
- 26 AI deals
- Backed by 7 unicorns and 47 IPOs
- A rising capital-rich tech corridor
Ahmedabad:
- Emerging as a cost-effective tech hub
- Strong in software, IT services, and fintech
- Boosted by GIFT City, a 22 million sq. ft. financial and tech hub
- Expected to host 550 companies and employ 20,000+ professionals
Jaipur:
- Attracting startups and domestic IT firms
- Strong educational institutions support a skilled workforce
- Offers a cost-efficient alternative to Delhi-NCR and Mumbai
A Defining Moment for India’s Global Tech Role
This recognition of Bengaluru—and the rising profiles of other Indian cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Jaipur—signals India’s growing influence in the global tech landscape.
As the world shifts toward AI-driven innovation, cities like Bengaluru are not only keeping pace with Western counterparts but, in some domains, setting the tone for future growth.