Karnataka leads India's AI race, says IT/BT minister Priyank Kharge

IT/BT minister Priyank Kharge said on Wednesday that Karnataka is ahead of other states in artificial intelligence (AI).

"We are already home to leading global AI players such as Harvey AI and Anthropic, and The Walt Disney Company is expanding its AI network in Bengaluru. Bengaluru is also among the top cities globally for AI talent," the minister said in a statement. He was attending the India AI Impact Summit in Delhi.

Kharge further said the state also has a deeptech decade initiative, under which the government offers startups grants of up to Rs 1 crore.


At the summit, he witnessed the signing of a strategic memorandum of understanding (MoU) between French AI firm H Company and St John's Medical College and St John's Research Institute, Bengaluru. The organisations will pilot advanced enterprise AI for hospital operations and workflow automation, reinforcing responsible AI in healthcare, said the statement.

Kharge also attended a US-India Business Council (USIBC) roundtable focussed on technology collaboration and investment partnerships between Karnataka and global enterprises. "USIBC has been a great partner in building bridges with American companies," he said.

He met Finnish MP Timo Harakka to explore AI and deeptech collaboration, including joint research and startup exchanges, and held talks with a Cypriot delegation led by deputy minister of research Nicodemos Damianou on positioning Cyprus as a gateway to European markets for Bengaluru-based startups and on deepening cooperation in innovation and emerging technologies.

The minister also visited the Meta platforms kiosk, reviewing emerging technology applications and digital innovation use cases, added the statement.