Karnataka to invest Rs 600 crore on its Deep Tech Decade initiative
BENGALURU: The Karnataka government has announced an investment of more than Rs 600 crore to drive its ambitious Deep Tech Decade initiative, reaffirming the state’s position as India’s innovation powerhouse.
The announcement was made by RDPR and IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge ahead of the Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS) 2025, themed “Futurise”, scheduled to be held from November 18 to 20 at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC).
The highlight of this year’s summit will be the Future Makers Conclave (FMC) — India’s largest entrepreneurship and innovation platform — designed to bring together over 10,000 founders, investors, and innovators. The conclave, set for November 20, will showcase cutting-edge startups in AI, DeepTech, DefenceTech, SpaceTech, and Mobility, along with keynote sessions by global industry leaders, unicorn founders, and investors.
Speaking at the pre-summit press briefing here on Monday, Priyank Kharge said the government’s Rs 600 crore investment will accelerate Karnataka’s transition into a global DeepTech hub.
“This initiative reflects our vision to create a robust DeepTech pipeline supporting entrepreneurs working on AI, ML, quantum computing, advanced manufacturing, robotics, and sustainable innovation,” he said. “We are also in discussions with leading venture capital firms to expand this into a Rs 1,000 crore joint fund dedicated to DeepTech and AI startups.”
The Rs 600 crore investment will be spread across several key initiatives; Rs 150 crore for the DeepTech Elevate Fund, focusing on AI and frontier technologies; Rs 80 crore under Elevate Beyond Bengaluru to boost startups in Mysuru, Mangaluru, Hubballi-Dharwad, and Kalaburagi; Rs 75 crore through the KITVIN Fund for equity-based support to DeepTech startups; Rs 48 crore for new incubators and accelerators at IIT and IIIT Dharwad and Kalaburagi; Rs 110 crore for business incubators across higher education institutions.
This edition will feature over 500 speakers, 1,000-plus exhibitors, more than 20,000 delegates, and over 50,000 business visitors from over 60 countries.