Karnataka Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh said a proposed Centre of Excellence (CoE) in artificial intelligence could become a major platform for collaboration between government agencies, startups, academic institutions, and industry leaders. Speaking about the initiative in partnership with the IndiaAI Mission, she emphasized that the centre could help accelerate AI research, public-sector innovation, and the development of practical AI applications for governance and digital services.
The proposed Centre of Excellence is expected to support experimentation and large-scale deployment of AI technologies across sectors such as healthcare, education, public administration, and urban infrastructure. Karnataka officials believe the initiative could strengthen India’s digital ecosystem by bringing together researchers, technology companies, and policymakers in a shared innovation environment. The state is already positioning itself as a national AI hub, supported by Bengaluru’s large concentration of AI startups, global capability centres, and technology talent.
The discussion also reflects Karnataka’s broader push toward responsible and scalable AI development. State officials recently announced work on a regulatory sandbox and an ethical AI framework designed to balance innovation with public trust and governance standards. Karnataka’s IT Policy 2025–30 includes major incentives for emerging technologies, expansion of AI infrastructure, and investments in green data centres and digital innovation clusters.
Industry leaders increasingly view collaboration as essential for India’s long-term AI ambitions. Experts argue that India’s advantage lies not only in building advanced models but also in creating large-scale AI applications tailored to governance, business, and public services. The proposed Centre of Excellence is therefore being positioned as more than a research institution — it could become a national coordination hub helping connect policy, infrastructure, startups, academia, and workforce development within India’s expanding AI ecosystem.
