Karnataka government bets big on AI with ₹400 crore push at tech summit

Government teams with venture investors to back deeptech startups as Bengaluru seeks to fortify its position as India's premier innovation hub

The Karnataka government, alongside a group of venture investors, committed ₹400 crore on Thursday to support artificial-intelligence deeptech ventures at the Future Makers Conclave during the Bengaluru Tech Summit.

 

The infusion highlights Karnataka’s push to shore up its position as India’s leading technology hub. Roughly 11,000 participants—including startup founders, entrepreneurs, investors, mentors, and industry leaders—attended the conclave, the flagship gathering of the 2025 summit.

 

Priyank Kharge, Karnataka minister for Electronics, Information Technology, Biotechnology, and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, said the conclave was a simple step taken by the government of Karnataka to bring startups and VCs together to create the future makers of tomorrow.

 

“These are the disruptors, innovators and future makers to inspire the rest of the country to solve real world problems,” said Kharge. “We will ensure that the progress is accelerated. Together we will build an ecosystem that is unmatched in the world,” he assured the VCs and the startups.

 

Winners of the Elevate initiative totalling 143 startups were also announced at the conclave, the largest so far. Elevate is the state’s innovative platform to mentor and fund promising companies from Karnataka. So far, Elevate has funded 1,084 companies with 390 Beyond Bengaluru.

 

Earlier, speakers at the Future Makers Conclave included a mentalist, an astronaut, new age entrepreneurs and sports stars.

 

Among them was Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, test pilot and astronaut with the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), who delivered an inspiring keynote on the realities of human spaceflight, emphasising how curiosity drives humanity to solve extreme challenges beyond the earth. He described how astronauts must relearn basic actions in space due to the absence of gravity, making even simple tasks unfamiliar.

 

“In outer space, we have to learn everything all over again—like a baby,” he said.

 

Shukla also highlighted the dramatic evolution of spacecraft from the earliest capsules to modern touch-screen-operated Crew Dragon vehicles. He explained the crushing experience of launch, where astronauts endure up to 8 Gs while ascending to 28,500 km/h in under nine minutes. He spoke about the disorienting nature of microgravity, where concepts like up or down vanish and objects float effortlessly. The physiological impact of space travel was outlined, including fluid shifts to the head, muscle loss, and temporary height increase. He shared how returning to earth requires relearning like how to walk after days in orbit. Shukla also emphasised the psychological resilience required for long-duration missions. 

 

The fireside chat with Zepto cofounder Kaivalya Vohra, moderated by Ankur Warikoo, offered a compelling look into how the quick commerce firm pioneered the 10-minute delivery model. Vohra shared that the idea emerged after noticing that customers who accidentally received 10–15 minute deliveries showed the highest retention, prompting the founders to test the concept hands-on during the pandemic. He spoke about the challenge of building dark stores and ultra-fast supply chain systems with no global precedent, relying on rapid iteration and strong technical innovation. Emphasising resilience, Vohra noted that entrepreneurship demands showing up despite daily setbacks.

 

“There will always be new problems,” he noted. “You have to keep showing up—and resilience is essential.”

 

Vohra also highlighted the importance of hiring experienced operators early to fill knowledge gaps. Calling Bengaluru home, he credited the city’s exceptional talent pool for Zepto’s growth. The session concluded with insights into his inspirations, leadership learnings, and Zepto’s continued expansion beyond groceries.

 

Former India tennis star Sania Mirza, who was also at the event, told attendees that thriving under pressure is essential to navigating both success and adversity. She said that no loss is ever big enough to end someone’s journey and that setbacks serve as valuable lessons. She added that things always improve the next morning.

 

The three-day Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS) concluded with 20,680 delegates from 57 countries attending its various conferences. More than 46,000 business visitors also participated, bringing total attendance to roughly 92,500.