Karnataka Information Technology Minister Priyank Kharge on Thursday said 100 engineering colleges are set to be “adopted” by an equal number of corporates by next year, as the government makes efforts to rope in industries to boost the employment prospects of students.

Citing an example, he quoted a big automobile company as saying that it is ready to provide jobs but students are not employable as they lack training.

“So, we suggested that they give training. We will create an environment for it. Taking a practical approach, they have asked us to provide a framework. So, 100 colleges will be adopted by 100 corporates or GCCs (Global Capability Centres) working in Karnataka as a start probably by next academic year. They have committed,” he said.

He claimed that with the recently launched ‘Nipuna Karnataka’ initiative, Kannadigas will be the “most equipped, most well trained, with the best of skill sets, and the most employable youth in the world.” “The launch of Nipuna saw collaborations with IBM, Intel, Microsoft, NVIDIA, BFSI Consortium and Accenture to drive skilling and workforce transformation. Through these MoUs, Karnataka will train 1 lakh trainees in one year,” Kharge said.

Kharge said at the three-day Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS), which concluded on Thursday, a Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) was signed between the Department of Electronics, IT, BT and S&T, Government of Karnataka and DRDO on cooperation and promotion of defence industrial ecosystem of Karnataka.

The minister said MoUs were also signed with Finland and Switzerland, strengthening ties in innovation and technology and ensuring that startups gain access to global markets and these countries’ ecosystems.

He said a new centre of excellence in AI would be established with IIT Alumni Centre Bengaluru. “The centre will give incubation space to startups, skill and train in AI and ensure they get market access.” “We will be tapping into the entire IIT alumni for artificial intelligence in the centre of excellence. It is one of the first of its kind in India and the first time that IIT is tying up with the state government for any centre of excellence of this kind,” he said.

The minister said BTS 2024 celebrated innovation by launching 50 groundbreaking products by startups in diverse sectors, including Clean Technology, Medical Technology, Agritech, AI, and Blockchain.

“A majority of these products were developed at K-tech Innovation Hubs, Centres of Excellence (CoEs), and Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) supported by the Government of Karnataka,” he said.

He noted that many startups received seed funding through the flagship ELEVATE Idea2PoC (Proof of Concept) programme. Notably, 23 of the products launched were by women-led startups, emphasising Karnataka’s commitment to inclusivity in innovation.

Kharge also announced that from next year, the Karnataka government is going to award startups for their excellence.

“Karnataka is going to be the first state to have its startup award programme — Karnataka Startup Awards – 2025, which will recognise excellence in innovation, scalability, and socio-economic impact across India’s startup ecosystem,” he said.

“BTS continues to embody Karnataka’s spirit of innovation, collaboration, and sustainability, creating a global platform for dialogue, partnerships, and growth. Bengaluru, the tech capital of India, once again proves its leadership in shaping the future of technology and innovation,” Kharge added.