Bengaluru, November 4, 2025 – In a bold move to cement Karnataka's position as India's Silicon Valley of the future, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today unveiled a ₹600 crore Deep Tech Fund aimed at turbocharging advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and statewide innovation ecosystems. Dubbed the 'Deep Tech Decade' initiative, the fund is set to fuel groundbreaking research, startup incubation, and infrastructure development over the next ten years, positioning the state as a global contender in cutting-edge technologies.
The announcement, made at a star-studded virtual summit hosted by the Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS) from Vidhana Soudha, drew over 5,000 participants, including tech giants like Infosys, Wipro, and international venture capitalists from Silicon Valley. "Karnataka isn't just coding the present; we're engineering the future," declared Siddaramaiah, flanked by IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge and NITI Aayog CEO B.V.R. Subrahmanyam. "This ₹600 crore seed will sprout into a forest of innovation, creating 50,000 high-skill jobs and attracting ₹5,000 crore in private investments by 2030."
The fund's architecture is multifaceted: ₹200 crore earmarked for AI research grants to universities like IISc Bengaluru and IIT Dharwad, supporting projects in machine learning for healthcare and climate modeling; another ₹250 crore for robotics clusters in Mysuru and Hubballi, fostering collaborations with firms like Bosch and ABB to build next-gen automation tools; and the remaining ₹150 crore for establishing 20 new innovation hubs in tier-2 and tier-3 cities like Belagavi, Tumakuru, and Kalaburagi. These hubs will offer plug-and-play labs, mentorship from global experts, and equity-free funding for early-stage deep tech startups.
Kharge, who spearheaded the initiative, highlighted its inclusive ethos. "We're not building ivory towers in Bengaluru alone – this is a statewide revolution. Women-led startups will get 30% priority funding, and rural innovators in agri-robotics will have dedicated accelerators," he said, referencing a pilot where AI-driven drones helped farmers in Raichur boost yields by 25% last season. The minister also teased tie-ups with global players: "Expect NVIDIA for AI accelerators and Boston Dynamics-inspired robotics challenges by mid-2026."
The launch comes at a pivotal moment for Karnataka's economy, which contributes 40% of India's IT exports but faces headwinds from global slowdowns and talent migration. Industry leaders hailed the move as a "game-changer." Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, founder of Biocon, tweeted: "Finally, a fund that bets on moonshots, not me-too apps. This could birth the next DeepMind from our backyard." Meanwhile, NASSCOM President Debjani Ghosh projected exponential growth: "Deep tech could add ₹2 lakh crore to Karnataka's GDP by 2035, provided we scale talent pipelines now."
Skeptics, however, urge caution. Opposition BJP legislator C.N. Ashwath Narayan, a former IT minister, criticized the fund's rollout as "rushed," pointing to past delays in schemes like Elevate. "Where's the oversight? We need a transparent dashboard for fund utilization, or it'll end up like stalled startup parks," he remarked. To address such concerns, the government has roped in an independent advisory board featuring economists from IIM Bangalore and ethicists to ensure ethical AI deployment and equitable distribution.
The 'Deep Tech Decade' aligns with national visions like India's AI Mission and Atmanirbhar Bharat, but Karnataka's aggressive push – including tax rebates for deep tech firms and a 'Robot Olympics' event in 2027 – sets it apart. As applications for the first grant cycle open tomorrow via the KITS portal, aspiring innovators are buzzing. "This isn't just money; it's a mandate to dream bigger," said 28-year-old robotics PhD scholar Priya Rao from Manipal Academy, one of the first to apply for funding on a swarm drone project for disaster relief.
With Bengaluru's skyline already dotted by data centers and drone skies, Karnataka's latest gambit signals a seismic shift from software services to sovereign tech supremacy. The decade ahead promises not just circuits and code, but a canvas for human ingenuity unbound.
TCO News will track the fund's inaugural grants and innovation hub inaugurations in the coming weeks. For application details, visit kits.karnataka.gov.in.
For More News Updates Follow Us On Www.tconews.in
