Bengaluru, 24 July

Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced that his government would unveil within the next 100 days a policy to expand world-class infrastructure “Beyond Bengaluru”, establish an AI University with industry participation, and launch new policies to strengthen the technology ecosystem.

Addressing CEOs at a breakfast meeting, Shivakumar said the government will encourage industries to establish operations beyond Bengaluru by offering world-class office infrastructure at highly affordable costs, including office space in other cities of Karnataka for as little as fifty cents per square foot.

IT/BT and Home Minister for Priyank Kharge, MLA and Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation Limited (KEONICS) Chairman Sharath Bache Gowda, Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan, and senior bureaucrats were among those present at the breakfast meeting.

“Many states are competing, but companies tell us that if it costs them USD 3.50 elsewhere, they can achieve the same here at nearly USD 1 because of Bengaluru’s talent, ecosystem and human capital,” he added. Discussing Karnataka's economic performance, Shivakumar said software exports had crossed Rs 4.36 lakh crore and are expected to exceed Rs 5.5 lakh crore this year.

“Bengaluru is our crown, but Karnataka is our heart,” he said, adding that cities such as Mysuru, Hubballi-Dharwad, Mangaluru and Belagavi should emerge as major technology and investment destinations, he added. 

AI VARSITY

Shivakumar also said that Karnataka is building an AI University in partnership with industry.

“Yesterday, we had detailed discussions with Google on this initiative. We don’t want the government alone to build it. We want to partner with industry. You should take the lead, and the government will stand beside you,” he said.

The university, he said, will serve as a centre for learning, innovation, collaboration and public digital access, with the vision of introducing AI education to rural students from Class 6 onwards.

He later told reporter that “we want to take AI to rural children” and the government was planning a curriculum for it. 

At the meeting, he urged companies to adopt one government school each under their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes.

“We spend over Rs 1 lakh per child in government education. Yet we still have teacher vacancies. Government alone cannot do everything. We need your partnership,” he said, adding that this would be followed by a greater focus on healthcare.

DATA CENTRE POLICY 

Shivakumar announced the Bengaluru Robotics and Innovation Zone and the Sustainable Data Centre Policy 2026-31, aimed at creating environmentally sustainable digital infrastructure supported by land, power, water, connectivity and renewable energy. 

The announcement comes in the backdrop of Bidadi farmers protesting against the Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township project, for which the government plans mass land acquisition to develop India’s first “AI-powered township”.