The Karnataka government has cleared a proposal to set up a new Artificial Intelligence Centre of Excellence aimed at boosting Industry 4.0 adoption and deep-tech development across key sectors.
The centre, called the Centre for Applied AI for Tech Solutions, or CATS, will be housed at the KEONICS facility in HSR Layout after receiving approval from the state’s IT department. The project will be developed in partnership with Nasscom, officials said.
The initiative will be funded with an outlay of ₹20 crore over four years. The funding structure follows a 40:40:20 split, with support coming from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the Karnataka government, and industry participants.
CATS Centre to Focus on Industry Collaboration and Innovation
CATS will work across areas such as artificial intelligence, robotics and automation, supply chain efficiency, and digital transformation. The aim is to provide practical support to start-ups, MSMEs, established companies, research bodies, and academic institutions operating in the deep-tech space.
According to officials, the centre plans to set up specialised labs and testing infrastructure over the next four years. It will also support early-stage deep-tech start-ups, help build proof-of-concept projects, and encourage collaboration between industry and research groups. Partnerships with global technology firms are also being explored.
Minister for Electronics and IT Priyank Kharge said the initiative reflects Karnataka’s focus on deep technology and innovation-led growth. He said bringing government, academia, and industry onto a single platform would help move ideas from research to real-world applications.
The centre will track its progress through indicators such as the number of start-ups supported, prototypes developed, patents filed, industry tie-ups created, and professionals trained. Annual targets will be set to ensure the programme delivers measurable results.
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