Karnataka CM unveils three policies to transform state into global destination for innovation
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday unveiled three major policies -- Information Technology Policy, SpaceTech Policy and Startup Policy -- to transform the state into a global destination for innovation and deep tech solutions.
This will strengthen the state's position as India's leading technology hub, he said, asserting that Karnataka is "not merely participating in the global tech revolution, but leading it".
The chief minister said this during the inauguration of the 28th edition of the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2025 here, organised by the Karnataka Department of Electronics, IT and BT and Software Technology Parks of India (STPI).
Noting that Karnataka has always led India in policy innovation, the CM said, "We launched India's first IT policy in 1997 and continue this leadership with new policies.
"At this summit, we are also taking a historic step with the launch of three transformative policies: The Karnataka Information Technology Policy 2025-2030, the SpaceTech Policy 2025-2030, and the Startup Policy 2025-2030. With this data-driven, emerging technology-ready Karnataka Information Technology Policy, we aim to transform the state into a global destination for innovation and deep tech."
With the SpaceTech Policy 2025-2030, Siddaramaiah said, "We aim to position Karnataka as India's leading space technology hub, capturing 50 per cent of the national market and 5 per cent globally by 2034."
"The new Startup Policy is being launched, and this policy aims to enable the creation of 25,000 startups over the next five years through strategic interventions in funding, market access, infrastructure, talent development, and social inclusion," he said, asserting that this forward-looking governance enhances Karnataka's competitiveness in a rapidly evolving global tech landscape.
Themed "Futurise", the three-day summit will bring together global leaders, policymakers, investors, startups, and innovators to explore emerging frontiers across DeepTech, Biotech & HealthTech, Semiconductors, and Startup Innovation.
Siddaramaiah said that Karnataka continues to remain one of India's top states for FDI inflows, global partnerships, and multinational investments due to its stability, predictability and transparency.
"The ecosystem blends world-class engineering, transparent policy, strong IP culture, and vibrant global communities. Our business environment is supported by top-tier legal, financial and technical expertise along with strong global connectivity," he added.
The chief minister highlighted that Bengaluru's temperate climate, multicultural character, and open civic culture attract people from across the world.
"Karnataka offers everything businesses require, from research to markets, from infrastructure to talent. Innovation thrives where quality of life thrives. Karnataka is not simply participating in the global tech revolution. It is leading it," he added.
Reiterating the government's focus on building future-ready infrastructure for deep-science and advanced engineering, the chief minister said that the state has already established Centres of Excellence in AI, cyber-security, data science, animation and robotics, and is the first in India to launch a dedicated roadmap for quantum technologies.
He said that inclusivity is a defining feature of the state's approach.
Through the "Beyond Bengaluru" initiative, the chief minister said, "We are consciously decentralising our technology economy by developing Tier-2 cities as the next generation innovation clusters. This is not merely an economic strategy, it is a commitment to equitable growth".
"Every district in Karnataka must have access to the opportunities of the digital age. Every young person, whether in a metro or a small town, should have the chance to build a career in high-value technology and research."
Reiterating the government's commitment to fostering a supportive innovation ecosystem, the chief minister said Karnataka remains open and welcomes global and domestic players.
"Our message to the world is simple and sincere: the Government of Karnataka is here to support you. Whether you are a global company seeking to establish an R&D centre, a startup building your first prototype, an academician conducting frontier research, or an investor searching for transformative ideas, Karnataka is your home. We will provide the infrastructure, the skills, the policy environment, the talent pipeline, and above all, the confidence that your ambition will find every possible support here," he said.
Calling for collaboration, Siddaramaiah urged innovators, researchers, founders, investors, students, and leaders gathered to help shape the future.
"Let us work together to ensure that Artificial Intelligence becomes a force for inclusion, that Quantum Technologies unlock new frontiers of science, that Biotechnology and SpaceTech push the boundaries of human progress, and that DeepTech solutions address the biggest challenges of our time," he added.
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NEET-UG: 2 more held, role of several NTA officers under scanner; CBI focussing on source of leak
New Delhi (PTI): The CBI has arrested two more persons in connection with the NEET (UG) paper-leak case, with the role of several officers of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and other organisations, who had access to the printing press where the papers were printed, coming under the scanner, officials said on Thursday.
The agency has arrested Dhananjay Lokhanda from Ahilyanagar and Manisha Waghmare from Pune and conducted searches at 14 locations across the country in the last 24 hours, they said.
The CBI is focussing on identifying the source of the leak that has caused massive disappointment to lakhs of aspirants eyeing a seat in undergraduate medical courses, which are allotted after the highly-competitive examination, the officials said.
According to the CBI probe so far, the involvement of public servants in the leak cannot be ruled out.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested three individuals from Jaipur -- Mangilal Biwal, Vikas Biwal and Dinesh Biwal -- along with Yash Yadav from Gurugram and Shubham Khairnar from Nashik.
Khairnar was in touch with Yadav and informed him in April that Mangilal Biwal was ready to pay Rs 10-12 lakh for arranging leaked NEET (UG) 2026 questions for his younger son.
Khairnar allegedly provided 500 to 600 questions from the leaked paper to Yadav, the officials said, adding that the questions could have helped score enough marks to get a seat in a reputed medical college.
Mangilal Biwal allegedly procured the paper from Yadav, who was known to his elder son Vikas Biwal from an NEET coaching in Rajasthan's Sikar. The deal between Mangilal Biwal and Yadav was for Rs 10 lakh, if 150 questions from the question bank matched with those in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) paper, the officials said.
Mangilal Biwal shared the paper with his son and further distributed it among relatives.
Yadav also told Vikas Biwal to find additional candidates for the questions to recover some of the money that he had spent on getting those, the officials said.
An analysis of digital devices has given the agency incriminating chats, leaked question papers and other digital evidence. The CBI will subject the devices to a forensic examination to get the deleted data, the officials said.
The federal agency has registered an FIR and formed teams to probe the alleged NEET (UG) paper leak that resulted in the cancellation of the exam held on May 3.
The NEET (UG) 2026 was conducted across 551 Indian cities and at 14 overseas centres. Nearly 23 lakh candidates had registered for the test, which was administered by the NTA at centres across the country.
According to the NTA, information regarding alleged malpractice was received on the evening of May 7, four days after the examination was held. The NTA said the inputs were escalated to central agencies the following morning for "independent verification and necessary action".
The Rajasthan Police's Special Operations Group (SOG) has claimed that a "guess paper" for chemistry, allegedly circulated among students ahead of the examination, had approximately 410 questions, including roughly 120 that appeared in the test.
