India, Nov. 6 -- Every year, on November 1st, Karnataka erupts in a blaze of red and yellow as fluttering state flags celebrate Karnataka Rajyotsava. The state anthem, "Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate," is lustily sung at schools. But underneath the pomp lies a frustrating truth, and this is something every Bangalorean knows. For what we have, both our city and our state, are woefully under served and under marketed. Our tourism tagline: "One State, Many Worlds," is true, but does little to sell our story.

Take Bengaluru. Yes, it is India's startup and tech capital. But how many of us know anything at all about its founder? The man who created this city stands tall at the airport bearing his name, welcoming tired travellers. But while the...