The department, through the Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS), signed an agreement with the Krishi Kalpa Foundation to establish the centre, with the foundation serving as the implementing partner for the initiative, according to the statement.
The proposed CoE will focus on rural innovation and technology adoption in agriculture and allied sectors, aimed at strengthening the local innovation ecosystem in the Kalyana Karnataka region.
“Kalyana Karnataka has immense potential to emerge as a hub for innovation in agriculture and rural enterprise… The CoE in Kalaburagi will create a strong platform for farmers, startups, researchers, and young innovators to collaborate on cutting-edge agritech solutions while strengthening livelihoods and driving sustainable economic growth across the region,” IT/BT minister Priyank Kharge said in the statement.
KITS managing director Rahul Sharanappa Sankanur and Krishi Kalpa Foundation chief executive C M Patil signed the agreement.
The CoE will be established under the state government’s Rs 1,000 crore flagship Local Economy Acceleration Programme (LEAP), which aims to accelerate entrepreneurship beyond Bengaluru.
Building on the state’s earlier announcement of a centre for entrepreneurship in Kalaburagi, the initiative formalises the operational framework for setting up a dedicated research, innovation, and entrepreneurship hub focussed on agriculture and allied sectors, the statement added.
The initiative is part of a broader plan to establish six CoEs across the state with a total budget allocation of Rs 90 crore over five years to develop research and development (R&D) and innovation hubs.
The Krishi Kalpa Foundation will operationalise the centre and manage its research, innovation, and entrepreneurship programmes, with grant support from KITS to establish and operate the facility over five years.
The CoE will focus on research, innovation, and skill development in areas such as agritech, AI-enabled agriculture, Internet of Things (IoT) for farming, robotics, digital agriculture platforms, and data-driven farm technologies, the statement said.
The centre will be governed by a council and a monitoring committee comprising representatives from the state government, academia, industry, and agricultural experts to guide strategy and oversee implementation.
