Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar with The Hindu Opinion Editor Narayan Lakshman at The Hindu Huddle at the Taj West End in Bengaluru
Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday described Bengaluru as “the biggest talent pool in Asia”, highlighting the city’s vast pool of IT technology professionals, engineers, nurses and other skilled workers, who contribute to economies across the world.He also said Bengaluru remains one of the safest cities to live and work in.Speaking at the inauguration of the sixth edition of The Hindu Huddle at the Taj West End in Bengaluru, the Chief Minister said the event marked his first inauguration since assuming office.This edition of The Hindu Huddle, themed ‘A World in Transition,’ was curated by Opinion Editor, Narayan Lakshman, and brought together heads of government, diplomats, policymakers, thought leaders, experts from diverse fields, and members of the arts and entertainment fields to discuss the major geopolitical, economic, technological and social changes shaping the world today.Top speakersThe distinguished line-up of speakers included Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, former Union Minister and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh, Chinese Ambassador Xu Feihong, European Union Ambassador Hervé Delphin, former Foreign Secretary and former Ambassador Nirupama Rao, and Australian High Commissioner Philip Green.Praising The Hindu for its commitment to independent journalism, Shivakumar said, “You write history, we believe in making history.”Commending the newspaper’s editorial integrity, he added that The Hindu had remained steadfast despite political and governmental pressures, saying, “You have not moved a budge with any political or government pressures. Your pen is very straight.”Published on June 5, 2026
