Karnataka launches agri innovation centre of excellence in Kalaburagi

Karnataka on Monday launched its centre of excellence (CoE) in agriculture and allied innovation in Kalaburagi, months after the state signed an agreement to establish the hub as part of its push to build agritech ecosystems beyond Bengaluru.

IT/BT minister Priyank Kharge launched the centre at Gold Hub, Kalaburagi. The Krishi Kalpa Foundation, which signed an implementation agreement with the Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS) earlier this year, will operationalise the facility and manage its research, innovation, and entrepreneurship programmes, said the IT/BT department in a release.

The CoE is being set up under the state's Rs 1,000 crore Local Economy Acceleration Programme (LEAP) and is part of a broader plan to establish six such centres across Karnataka, with a combined budget of Rs 90 crore over five years, the statement said.


The centre will focus on agritech, AI-enabled agriculture, IoT for farming, robotics, digital agriculture platforms, and data-driven farm technologies. It will also support startup incubation, skill development for rural youth, and partnerships between industry, academia, and farmer producer organisations.

The launch also saw the rollout of the 'Vikas and Prerana' programmes, aimed at supporting grassroots entrepreneurship in the region.

"Kalyana Karnataka has immense potential to emerge as a hub for innovation in agriculture and rural enterprise. This centre will create a strong platform for farmers, startups, researchers, and young innovators to collaborate on cutting-edge agritech solutions," Kharge said in the statement.

The centre will be governed by a council and monitoring committee comprising representatives from the state government, academia, industry, and agricultural experts.