New 15,000 sq. ft. startup hub and prototyping lab to boost agri-tech, rural innovation, and youth entrepreneurship across Kalyana Karnataka.
Published Nov 24, 2025 | 7:39 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 24, 2025 | 7:43 PM
Priyank Kharge launch of a new Centre for Entrepreneurship in Kalaburagi. (X)
Synopsis: The Centre for Entrepreneurship—being set up in partnership with the KrishiKalpa Foundation—aims to strengthen the innovation ecosystem in the Kalyana Karnataka region with a strong focus on agriculture, allied sectors, rural innovation, and emerging technologies.
The Karnataka government announced the launch of a new Centre for Entrepreneurship in Kalaburagi under its flagship LEAP (Local Economy Accelerator Program), a ₹1,000 crore, five-year initiative designed to supercharge regional entrepreneurship, decentralize innovation, and accelerate economic growth across the state’s emerging tech clusters.
The Centre for Entrepreneurship—being set up in partnership with the KrishiKalpa Foundation—aims to strengthen the innovation ecosystem in the Kalyana Karnataka region with a strong focus on agriculture, allied sectors, rural innovation, and emerging technologies.
As part of the program, the Kalaburagi District Administration has allocated 15,000 sq. ft. of ready-to-use workspace that will function as the region’s dedicated startup hub, supporting founders, agripreneurs, innovators and ecosystem stakeholders.
The Centre will operate on a framework of mentorship – market access – money access,
offering structured incubation, acceleration, capacity building, and entrepreneurial development. A state-of-the-art Prototyping Lab will also be established to enable startups to design, build, and test world-class innovations locally—significantly reducing infrastructure and market-entry barriers.
Speaking at the announcement, Priyank Kharge, Minister for Electronics, IT, BT and Rural Development & Panchayat Raj, said “Kalaburagi represents the immense untapped potential of rural Karnataka—a region where over 70 percent of the workforce contributes to the agrarian economy.”
“Through LEAP and the new Centre for Entrepreneurship, we are bridging the rural–urban divide by bringing technology, innovation and opportunity directly to our communities. With Karnataka’s IT-BT sector crossing ₹1.5 lakh crore and LEAP projected to create 5 lakh jobs, this Centre of Excellence will energize Kalaburagi’s youth to build sustainable livelihoods through agri-tech, deep-tech and allied-sector innovation,” he added.
Dr. N. Manjula, IAS, Secretary, ITBT Department, said “LEAP reflects our mission to democratize innovation beyond Bengaluru. The Centre for Entrepreneurship in Kalaburagi will tap into the region’s agricultural strengths and emerging technology capability, enabling rural innovators to scale sustainable and competitive enterprises.”
C.M. Patil, CEO, KrishiKalpa Foundation, said “As someone who belongs to this region, it is deeply fulfilling to channel years of learning into a mission that empowers our youth. This is not just a program—it is a long-term commitment to build an inclusive, future-ready entrepreneurial ecosystem that the Kalyana Karnataka region can proudly claim as its own.”
Sanjeev Kumar Gupta, CEO, Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), added “Through LEAP, we are building an inclusive, future-ready ecosystem that integrates deep- tech, ITITES, and agri-tech. This Centre will play a pivotal role in accelerating regional growth and creating high-impact employment opportunities.”
The Centre for Entrepreneurship in Kalaburagi is scheduled for a formal launch in early January 2026, marking the beginning of strengthened and sustained entrepreneurial activity across the Kalyana Karnataka region.
Startup Incubation & Ecosystem Strengthening: Dedicated workspaces, structured acceleration programs, and incubation support for startups, FPOs, and rural entrepreneurs.
Mentorship & Capacity Building: Expert-led mentorship, market linkages, and skill-development through the Mentorship– Market Access–Money Access model.
Deep-Tech & ITITES for Agri-Allied Sectors: Labs for IoT, robotics, AI, food processing, mechanization, AR/VR and IT-enabled services to scale technology adoption across rural agribusiness.
Prototyping & Product Development: A full-fledged Prototyping Lab to help startups build and test innovations locally, reducing costs and time-to-market.
Local Job Creation & Regional Growth: Boosting local employment, reducing rural–urban migration, and creating a replicable grassroots innovation model for emerging clusters.
Infrastructure & Collaboration: 15,000 sq. ft. of dedicated startup space, supported by partnerships with government departments, academic institutions, VCs, and accelerators
