Synopsis
Firms like SAP and Google have led this inflow of investment. The state is now focussing on structured global pathways and outcome-driven partnerships across AI and deeptech sectors.The minister further said the state is entering the next phase of its global engagement strategy with a sharper focus on scaling investments and deepening international partnerships.
“We are building structured pathways that help startups and companies from Karnataka access global markets while bringing global innovation ecosystems closer to the state,” he said.
He said the upcoming Global Innovation Alliance (GIA) 2.0 will further formalise these efforts with more outcome-driven collaboration across emerging technology sectors such as artificial intelligence (AI) and deep tech.
The GIA, the state’s flagship innovation diplomacy platform, has partnered with over 40 countries so far and supported more than 2,000 startups. It has also facilitated over 60 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and collaborations across governments, institutions, and industry partners.
Over the past year, it has driven sustained market access programmes in Germany, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and France. These programmes have helped startups in deeptech, fintech, healthtech, cleantech, biotech, and traveltech connect with global investors and markets, Kharge said.
The minister further said the state’s global engagement has led to partnerships with countries including Germany, Finland, Switzerland, Australia, the US, Israel, Italy, Chile, and the UAE, along with institutions such as Imperial College London, Johns Hopkins University, Rice University, the University of Glasgow, and La Trobe University.
Karnataka has also seen large-scale investment commitments in key sectors. These include Rs 21,911 crore sanctioned for Apple supplier Foxconn, Rs 6,350 crore in data centres, Rs 15,901 crore from Lam Research, and Rs 4,851 crore for semiconductor research and development fab by semiconductor firm Applied Materials.
At the upcoming “Bridge to Bengaluru — Dialogue with Diplomats” event in New Delhi on April 17, to be attended by Kharge, chief minister Siddaramaiah, deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar and Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, the state will formally showcase GIA 2.0 and its global partnership roadmap.
The platform will also serve as a precursor to the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2026, scheduled for November 17-19 under the theme “AI & Beyond,” as Karnataka positions itself as a global hub for technology, deeptech, and advanced manufacturing.
