AI disruptions will be brief as reskilling drives new jobs: Karnataka IT minister Priyank Kharge

New Delhi: Disruptions from Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be brief and new jobs will emerge, Karnataka's IT and Biotechnology Minister Priyank Kharge has said, highlighting the state's large-scale reskilling initiatives are underway to prepare talent for new-age technologies.

In an interview with PTI, Kharge asserted that Karnataka retains a comfortable lead over others in technology, with strong data and performance vectors backing its position.

The state encourages innovation and collaboration, ensuring "that any entrepreneur or corporation who dreams of making it big globally, starts from Karnataka", he noted.

On the issue of disruptions due to AI, the minister said, Nipuna Karnataka, the state's large-scale reskilling and upskilling initiative, aims at safeguarding and future-proofing its talent pool.

"While there might be certain job losses, new jobs will be created...And that is why we need a massive reskilling and upskilling programme. So, there will be disruption, but the disruption will be for a brief while, until we are able to reskill and upskill people," he said.

Nipuna Karnataka is a Rs 300 crore reskilling initiative, industry-driven and industry-focused, with ambitious targets to train talent at scale, he added.

In the coming financial year, the state government aims to skill individuals in key areas, like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital forensics, and other technologies, in line with the global tech demands.

"We intend to scale over 5,00,000 people in the coming financial year, in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital forensics, and anything that the industry might need. So, we are closely talking to them through our skill council for emerging technologies, taking their feedback, taking their curriculum, and seeing how we can ensure that we give the most affordable and most talented human resources for them.

"And this programme is just not catering to the local ecosystem, we are catering to the global ecosystem also," Kharge noted.

He said Karnataka retains its lead over others, and data ranging from IT exports to startups and GCCs play, underscores its competitive strengths.

"We are far ahead of the curve when it comes to our neighbours or neighbouring states. So, while we love competition, we are not afraid of it. It also helps us pull up our socks," he said.

As many as 20,000 startups are registered with the state government, he said, adding that of 110 unicorns, more than 45 are from Bengaluru.

"We contribute 21 per cent of the national bioeconomy, and 65 per cent of defence electronics manufacturing happens in Karnataka. And GCCs, we have close to over 800 GCCs and their units, totalling about 1,500," Kharge said.

The same trend is evident in office space demand, real estate leasing, and GCC momentum.

"Last year, we gobbled up close to around 47 per cent of the entire country's real estate for GCCs. This year, just in the last six months, 13.1 million square feet has been given only for GCCs. So, where is the competition? I don't see that," Kharge said.

The minister emphasised that the state's policies are backed by strong, actionable outcomes like the recent Quantum Roadmap.

"We are just not announcing mere policies for the sake of announcing them. So, when we keep the Karnataka quantum roadmap in front, people believe us...That is because over the years, we have managed to build a strong foundation of skills.

"We have topped that with incubators, and we have topped up with centres of excellence across sectors. So, I run more than 25 centres of excellence from agritech to space tech. And through these, we are innovating and inventing. On top of that, we have put budgets. On top of that, we put policies," Kharge said.