Kalaburagi: The Karnataka government is taking steps to promote entrepreneurship and strengthen the startup ecosystem across the state, particularly in the Kalyana Karnataka region. IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge said eligible startups would receive financial assistance of up to ₹50 lakh under the government’s ‘Elevate Karnataka’ programme.
He was speaking at the ‘Kalyana Karnataka Startup Dialogue-2026’, organised by the Department of IT-BT in association with Krishi Kalpa for agricultural entrepreneurs at Enrise by Sayaji Hotel in the city on Saturday.
Kharge said the Elevate Karnataka programme was designed to encourage aspiring entrepreneurs and bring significant changes to India’s business and startup landscape. Under the initiative, financial assistance of up to ₹50 lakh is being provided to 1,500 startups. The programme is expected to encourage more young people to take up entrepreneurship and contribute to the state’s economic growth.
He pointed out that startups operating outside Bengaluru account for only 28 per cent of the state’s startup ecosystem. To address this imbalance and encourage entrepreneurship in regions such as Kalyana Karnataka, the government has introduced the ‘Beyond Bengaluru’ initiative.He further announced that the government was planning a special programme to provide financial assistance of up to ₹1 crore to selected entrepreneurs establishing deep-tech startups over the next 10 years.
Emphasising the need to expand the startup ecosystem beyond Bengaluru, Kharge said startups should also emerge from Tier-II and Tier-III cities. The government has introduced the ambitious Local Economic Accelerator Programme (LEAP) to strengthen local economies and transform young people from job seekers into job creators.
Government committed to supporting entrepreneurs: Kharge urged aspiring entrepreneurs to overcome the misconception that the government does not provide subsidies or support for establishing businesses.”This is your government, and we are committed to extending all necessary assistance to entrepreneurs,” he said.
He advised young entrepreneurs not to lose confidence even if they encountered failures during their initial attempts. Emphasising the ‘Local to Vocal’ concept, he encouraged them to develop innovative business ideas rooted in local identity and establish reliable supply and distribution networks for their products.
Need to strengthen agricultural marketing skills: Medical Education, Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood Minister Dr. Sharanprakash R. Patil said farmers in the Kalyana Karnataka region had considerable experience in agricultural production but lacked adequate skills to expand markets for their products.He stressed the need to bridge this gap through skill development, better marketing strategies and value addition to agricultural produce. Increasing the value of farm products, he said, was essential to improving farmers’ income.
