The government of Karnataka has finalized a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) to set up a Center of Excellence (CoE) in Kalaburagi, focused on enhancing rural innovation, agricultural technology, and entrepreneurship in the Kalyana Karnataka area.

The contract was executed between the Department of Electronics, IT, Biotechnology and Science and Technology and the Krishi Kalpa Foundation to establish the facility, aimed at research, innovation, and technology-based solutions in agriculture.

Managing Director Rahul Sharanappa Sankanur of the Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS) signed the agreement for the state government, and CEO CM Patil of the Krishi Kalpa Foundation signed as the partner for implementation.

The centre will be set up as part of the Local Economy Acceleration Program (LEAP), the state government’s main Rs.1,000 crore initiative aimed at fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology-driven economic growth in developing clusters outside Bengaluru over five years.

Officials stated that the center aims to enhance innovation in agriculture and rural enterprises by facilitating collaboration among startups, farmer producer organizations (FPOs), self-help groups (SHGs), researchers, and rural innovators on technology-driven solutions.

Commenting on the initiative, IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge mentioned that Kalyana Karnataka has the capability to become a center for agricultural innovation and rural entrepreneurship.

“Through the LEAP program, the Government of Karnataka is committed to bringing technology, entrepreneurship and opportunity closer to our communities beyond Bengaluru. The Centre of Excellence in Kalaburagi will create a strong platform for farmers, startups, researchers and young innovators to collaborate on cuttingedge agri-tech solutions, while strengthening livelihoods and driving sustainable economic growth across the region," Priyank says.

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The center will aid research and development, create skill-building initiatives and facilitate collaborations between industry and academia, while assisting local innovators in creating scalable products and businesses that tackle issues throughout the agricultural value chain.

Krishi Kalpa Foundation will implement the facility and oversee programs focused on innovation, assistance for startups, research projects, and capacity development aligned with government goals.

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The Kalaburagi center is included in a larger initiative to create six Centres of Excellence throughout Karnataka, with a financial allocation of Rs 90 crore over five years to develop research and innovation hubs that are competitive on a global scale.

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The centre will additionally concentrate on new fields like agri-tech, AI in agriculture, IoT-driven farming, robotics, and digital agricultural platforms.