Karnataka govt inks pact for Centre of Excellence in Agri & Allied Innovation in Kalaburagi

Bengaluru, Mar 9 (PTI) The Karnataka government on Monday signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Krishi Kalpa Foundation to establish a Centre of Excellence in Agri and Allied Domain with a rural focused intervention in Kalaburagi, officials said.

The Memorandum of Agreement was signed by the Department of Electronics, Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science & Technology through the Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS), they said.

According to official statement, the Centre of Excellence (CoE) will be established under the Local Economy Acceleration Programme (LEAP) — the Government of Karnataka’s flagship Rs 1,000 crore, five-year initiative aimed at accelerating regional innovation, entrepreneurship and technology-led economic growth across emerging clusters beyond Bengaluru.

Building on the government’s earlier announcement of a Centre for Entrepreneurship in Kalaburagi, this agreement formalises the operational framework to establish a dedicated research, innovation and entrepreneurship hub focused on agriculture and allied sectors, with a strong emphasis on rural innovation and technology adoption.

As the implementing partner, NGO Krishi Kalpa Foundation will operationalise the Centre of Excellence and lead its programmatic activities, including innovation programmes, startup support, research initiatives, and capacity-building efforts aligned with the objectives of the Karnataka government, officials said.

The CoE will support research and development, skill development, innovation programmes, and industry–academia partnerships, while helping local innovators build scalable products and enterprises that address challenges across the agricultural value chain, they said.

Speaking on the initiative, IT Minister Priyank Kharge said, "Kalyana Karnataka has immense potential to emerge as a hub for innovation in agriculture and rural enterprise. Through the LEAP programme, the Government of Karnataka is committed to bringing technology, entrepreneurship and opportunity closer to our communities beyond Bengaluru.

"The Centre of Excellence in Kalaburagi will create a strong platform for farmers, startups, researchers and young innovators to collaborate on cutting-edge agri-tech solutions, while strengthening livelihoods and driving sustainable economic growth across the region," he said.

The agreement will remain in force for a period of five years, during which the CoE will work towards building a vibrant rural innovation ecosystem and accelerating technology-led development in agriculture and allied sectors across the Kalyana Karnataka region, officials added. PTI AMP ROH