Karnataka govt inks major MoUs to boost bid as India’s innovation hub

Bengaluru, Dec 3 (PTI) The Karnataka government on Wednesday signed two significant Memoranda of Understanding aimed at accelerating the state’s vision of becoming India’s leading innovation hub and a global deep-tech centre.

The first MoU, signed with Coinbase India, a digital asset exchange platform, is intended to strengthen Karnataka’s position as an on-chain innovation capital and a cybersecurity centre of excellence, officials said.

The second MoU, signed with Refroid Technologies, introduces a cutting-edge, energy-efficient, Made-in-India liquid-cooling portfolio designed for next-generation AI and hyperscale workloads, reinforcing India’s ambition to "innovate for the world", they added.

Speaking at the event, IT Minister Priyank Kharge said, "Through these partnerships, we aim to unlock new economic opportunities for our youth, build strong technical capability, and move rapidly toward our vision of making Karnataka a global pioneer in digital innovation." According to a statement, the agreement with Coinbase outlines collaboration across two strategic tracks.

Track one focuses on strengthening the state’s blockchain ecosystem through developer education, early-stage startup incubation and public-awareness programmes.

Track two aims to enhance cyber resilience across educational institutions, startups and the general public.

The government said the partnership with Refroid Technologies makes Karnataka home to the country’s first comprehensive, Made-in-India liquid-cooling solutions designed for advanced digital infrastructure. The portfolio includes Coolant Distribution Units (200 kW to 2 MW), Liquid Immersion Cooling Systems and Hybrid Loadbanks.

Manjula N, Secretary, Department of Electronics, Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science and Technology, said the initiatives would "catapult the state into a new realm of deep-tech economy and development" and help make Karnataka a model state for technological innovation. PTI AMP SSK