Karnataka Cabinet Approves ₹12-Crore AI Centre of Excellence at IIIT Raichur
The Karnataka Cabinet has approved the establishment of a Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence (CoE-AI) at the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Raichur, with an outlay of ₹12 crore over five years. The announcement was made by Minister for Home, Information Technology & Biotechnology, and e-Governance, Priyank Kharge, following a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar under the Karnataka Government Transaction of Business Rules, 1977.
Funding
- ₹5 crore earmarked in the Karnataka State Budget 2026–27
- ₹7 crore under the LEAP programme
A Regional Hub for North Karnataka
The CoE-AI will serve as a regional technology hub for the 13 districts of North Karnataka, extending Karnataka’s technology ecosystem beyond Bengaluru into tier-2 and tier-3 cities by driving AI education, research, innovation, and entrepreneurship from IIIT Raichur.
The centre will develop AI-based solutions across key sectors, including:
- Agriculture
- Healthcare
- Education
- MSMEs
- Governance
Planned infrastructure includes AI development laboratories, advanced computing facilities, prototype development labs, skill-development programmes, start-up incubation support, and regional outreach initiatives.
Implementation
A dedicated Special Purpose Vehicle — IIIT Raichur ARIA (AI Research and Innovation Arena) — will be set up to oversee the project. The initiative will roll out in three phases, beginning with infrastructure creation and progressing toward innovation, entrepreneurship, and long-term self-sustainability.
Minister Priyank Kharge noted that the project will position Raichur and North Karnataka as a major AI hub, creating world-class opportunities for students, researchers, start-ups, and industry.
IIIT Raichur looks forward to building the CoE-AI into a driver of AI-led innovation for the region, and will share updates on ARIA and the centre’s rollout as they become available.
Source: The Hindu — “Karnataka Cabinet approves ₹12-crore AI Centre of Excellence at IIIT Raichur”, published 19 July 2026.
