Karnataka: Kharge discusses with Austria & Cuba delegations on AI, Skilling

Karnataka is stepping up its international technology engagement, with top government officials holding discussions with delegations from Austria and Cuba on Saturday (Feb 21) on collaborating in artificial intelligence (AI), digital public infrastructure (DPI), skilling and innovation ecosystems.

IT/BT minister Priyank Kharge led the discussion as part of the state’s broader push to position itself as a global hub for responsible technology adoption and digital governance. IT/BT Secretary N Manjula and IT/BT director Rahul Sharanappa Sankanur also participated in discussions.

The Austrian delegation described Bengaluru as one of the world’s leading centres for digitisation and AI innovation, noting that nearly 140 Austrian companies and subsidiaries currently operate in India. Discussions focused on AI governance frameworks, responsible deployment of large-scale digital systems and strengthening startup and research collaborations.



Officials discussed opportunities under Karnataka’s Global Innovation Alliance (GIA), which connects the state’s startups and research institutions with global innovation ecosystems.


Kharge highlighted Karnataka’s ability to deploy population-scale digital platforms while balancing innovation with safeguards around data security and sustainability. He said the state is preparing a data sovereignty white paper aimed at contributing to India’s evolving policy discourse on AI governance and data regulation.


“With AI adoption accelerating globally, our priorities remain data sovereignty, security and responsible innovation,” he said, adding that Karnataka’s talent base and mature digital infrastructure continue to attract global technology investments.


The Austrian delegation included senior government representatives, diplomats and media officials led by State Secretary Alexander Pröll.

In a separate meeting, the Cuban delegation expressed interest in learning from Karnataka’s experience in ICT-led governance and emerging technologies, particularly in workforce skilling and institutional partnerships.

Cuban officials sought collaboration on training programmes in emerging technologies and academic pathways, including postgraduate and doctoral opportunities for professionals. Discussions also centred on India’s digital public infrastructure model, with Cuba exploring the adoption of platforms similar to DigiLocker.

Talks covered implementation architecture, governance models and scaling mechanisms required to run national digital systems efficiently. Karnataka officials emphasised institutional capacity-building and knowledge exchange as key pillars of future cooperation.


Senior Cuban representatives included Communications Minister Mayra Arevich Marín and officials from Havana Science and Technology Park and state technology enterprise XETID, along with the Cuban ambassador to India.




State’s officials said the meetings highlighted Karnataka’s experience in delivering citizen-centric digital governance at scale, with nearly 600 government services currently available through digital platforms.


“These engagements reflect our effort to remain proactive rather than reactive to technological disruption,” Kharge said, adding that the state intends to help shape inclusive and globally relevant digital ecosystems through partnerships with international governments and institutions.