<p>Bengaluru: The Government of Karnataka on Monday launched the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Agri & Allied Innovation in Kalaburagi, marking a significant milestone in advancing rural innovation, agri-tech, and entrepreneurship in the Kalyana Karnataka region.</p><p>The Centre, established under the Local Economy Acceleration Programme (LEAP)—the Government’s flagship Rs 1,000 crore initiative—will serve as a dedicated hub for research, innovation, and enterprise development in agriculture and allied sectors. Priyank Kharge, Minister for Electronics, IT, Biotechnology and Rural Development & Panchayat Raj, Government of Karnataka inaugurated the centre at Gold Hub, Kalaburagi.</p><p>The event also marked the rollout of the ‘Vikas and Prerana’ programmes aimed at supporting grassroots innovation and entrepreneurship in the region. Building on the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed earlier this year between the Department of Electronics, IT, Biotechnology and Science & Technology (GoK), through the Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS), and Krishi Kalpa Foundation, the centre is now operational and set to drive on-ground impact.</p><p>As a hub for rural innovation and agri-tech growth, the Centre of Excellence will focus on research and development in agri-tech and allied sectors, promotion of AI-enabled agriculture, IoT, robotics, and digital farming solutions.</p><p>It will also focus on skill development and capacity-building initiatives for rural youth and entrepreneurs, and support for startups, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), Self-Help Groups (SHGs), and grassroots innovators.</p><p>Speaking at the launch, Kharge highlighted the Government’s continued focus on expanding innovation ecosystems beyond Bengaluru. “Kalyana Karnataka has immense potential to emerge as a hub for innovation in agriculture and rural enterprise. The launch of this Centre of Excellence is a decisive step towards bringing technology, entrepreneurship and opportunity closer to our communities. It will enable farmers, startups, and young innovators to collaborate on cutting-edge solutions while strengthening livelihoods and driving inclusive growth,” he said.</p><p>Highlighting the scale of Karnataka’s startup ecosystem, he added, “Karnataka today is home to nearly 18,000 registered startups, and our focus is on ensuring they have access to the right support systems—including mentorship, pilot opportunities, and funding. We recognise that each startup requires early-stage backing of around Rs 50 lakh, and the government is committed to extending this support to nearly 1,500 startups to help them scale and succeed.”</p><p>He further added that the government is actively building strong innovation ecosystems across cities such as Mysuru, Mangaluru, Hubballi-Dharwad, Belagavi, and Kalaburagi.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: The Government of Karnataka on Monday launched the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Agri & Allied Innovation in Kalaburagi, marking a significant milestone in advancing rural innovation, agri-tech, and entrepreneurship in the Kalyana Karnataka region.</p><p>The Centre, established under the Local Economy Acceleration Programme (LEAP)—the Government’s flagship Rs 1,000 crore initiative—will serve as a dedicated hub for research, innovation, and enterprise development in agriculture and allied sectors. Priyank Kharge, Minister for Electronics, IT, Biotechnology and Rural Development & Panchayat Raj, Government of Karnataka inaugurated the centre at Gold Hub, Kalaburagi.</p><p>The event also marked the rollout of the ‘Vikas and Prerana’ programmes aimed at supporting grassroots innovation and entrepreneurship in the region. Building on the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed earlier this year between the Department of Electronics, IT, Biotechnology and Science & Technology (GoK), through the Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS), and Krishi Kalpa Foundation, the centre is now operational and set to drive on-ground impact.</p><p>As a hub for rural innovation and agri-tech growth, the Centre of Excellence will focus on research and development in agri-tech and allied sectors, promotion of AI-enabled agriculture, IoT, robotics, and digital farming solutions.</p><p>It will also focus on skill development and capacity-building initiatives for rural youth and entrepreneurs, and support for startups, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), Self-Help Groups (SHGs), and grassroots innovators.</p><p>Speaking at the launch, Kharge highlighted the Government’s continued focus on expanding innovation ecosystems beyond Bengaluru. “Kalyana Karnataka has immense potential to emerge as a hub for innovation in agriculture and rural enterprise. The launch of this Centre of Excellence is a decisive step towards bringing technology, entrepreneurship and opportunity closer to our communities. It will enable farmers, startups, and young innovators to collaborate on cutting-edge solutions while strengthening livelihoods and driving inclusive growth,” he said.</p><p>Highlighting the scale of Karnataka’s startup ecosystem, he added, “Karnataka today is home to nearly 18,000 registered startups, and our focus is on ensuring they have access to the right support systems—including mentorship, pilot opportunities, and funding. We recognise that each startup requires early-stage backing of around Rs 50 lakh, and the government is committed to extending this support to nearly 1,500 startups to help them scale and succeed.”</p><p>He further added that the government is actively building strong innovation ecosystems across cities such as Mysuru, Mangaluru, Hubballi-Dharwad, Belagavi, and Kalaburagi.</p>
