Bengaluru, 24 July

Home and IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge on Friday announced a slew of initiatives, including the launch of MIST (Museum of Innovation, Startup and Technology), the Innovers Foundation, enhanced funding for deep-tech startups under Elevate Next, a proposed AI University, and the Nipuna Karnataka skilling programme, ahead of the 29th edition of the Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS).

The summit will be held from 17 to 19 November at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) under the theme 'AI & Beyond', Priyank said. 

Priyank also announced the constitution of a Deep Tech Working Group, a Government First policy to make government datasets available to startups through a regulatory sandbox, and said Karnataka would continue to position itself as the country's leading destination for artificial intelligence and deep-tech innovation.

Reiterating that the next decade would be Karnataka's "Deep Tech Decade", he said the government has doubled funding for deep-tech startups under Elevate Next, increasing the maximum grant from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore.

"AI may be the current buzzword, but Karnataka has always led emerging technologies and will continue to lead the next phase of artificial intelligence. BTS will serve as a platform for policy discussions, strategic decisions and the preparation of a blueprint not only for Karnataka but also for the country," Kharge told reporters.