Siddaramaiah launches state-developed, AI ready computer priced at Rs 18,999
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday launched KEO, an AI-ready, compact personal computer priced at Rs 18,999, and "designed and developed entirely within the state to bridge Karnataka's digital access gap".
According to officials, KEO, which stands for Knowledge-driven, Economical, Open-source, aims to make intelligent computing accessible at the grassroots and empower citizens across Karnataka.
The device, unveiled by the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2025, has been developed by the Department of Electronics, IT & BT in collaboration with KEONICS (Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation Limited).
Later, addressing a press conference here, Information Technology Minister Priyank Kharge said, "India's most affordable artificial intelligence personal computer has been launched officially. It is the most compact, powerful AI device in India right now and it is completely based on open source. Nowhere in the world can you build such a device for Rs 18,999."
When asked about the pricing, he said, "When we started, it was a low-cost project. Now it is affordable. The problem is geopolitics -- the US and China's stand on rare earth materials and that is what pushed up the memory cost. Now it's de-escalating".
"We have spoken to a lot of people in Taiwan and the US as well, and everybody is of the opinion that it has de-escalated now. It may take a couple of months to stabilise. Once it stabilises, we will ensure that the cost is lowered as well. As of now, it is affordable. You will not get such a powerful AI-edge machine at this cost."
According to him, Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan and Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw saw the device and were very impressed.
"They have placed an order to procure it, and they will be sponsoring it for schools," he said.
The minister said the device was built to ensure "every student, engineer, creator, innovator and household has access to powerful, intelligent computing at the grassroots, not just at the top of the pyramid."
He highlighted that fewer than 10 per cent of Indian households own a computer.
In Karnataka, the figure is just 15 per cent, well below the level required for modern education and digital livelihoods, he added.
"While smartphones are widespread, studies show that computers are essential for academic work, coding, online classes and hybrid learning," he said, noting that over 60 per cent of Indian students reported being unable to participate in online learning due to the lack of a device -- a factor contributing to higher dropout rates.
Sharath Kumar Bache Gowda, Chairman of KEONICS, said a delegation led by Japanese women entrepreneurs has already seen the device and expressed interest in funding it.
"KEO is now open for pre-orders on our website. We are trying to optimise manufacturing. We are checking in Mysuru and other places. The chip was designed, developed and built by a Bengaluru-based semiconductor company," he added.
According to a statement, built on an open-source RISC-V processor with a Linux-based OS, KEO offers a full computing experience at an accessible price point. It features 4G, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, USB-A and USB-C ports, HDMI and audio jack support, and comes fully loaded with learning, programming and productivity tools.
KEO includes an on-device AI core, enabling AI to run locally without internet access. It comes preloaded with BUDDH, an AI agent trained on the Karnataka DSERT syllabus to assist students even in low-connectivity regions, the statement added.
Following the launch, KEO is being showcased to the public throughout the Summit, allowing students, start-ups, industry leaders and visitors to experience the device first-hand and understand its role in enabling mass-affordable, AI-ready computing across the state.
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Parents fear uncertainty after Karnataka govt rules out age limit relaxation for Class 1 admission
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has ruled out any relaxation of the minimum age limit for admission to Class 1 beginning with the academic year 2026-27. Following the refusal, a group of parents continues to press for leniency.
Parents of children who fall under the age of six by a small margin on the cut-off date have met Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and senior officials from the Department of School Education and Literacy to request an exemption. School Education and Literacy Minister Madhu Bangarappa said that the government will not change its decision, as reported by Deccan Herald.
According to the minister, children must be six years old by June 1 to be eligible for admission to Class 1. beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. He noted that the previous relaxation was a one-time measure that was clearly confined to the 2025-26 academic year.
“If such requests are entertained every year, it will never end. While granting relaxation last year, it was explicitly stated that it applied only to one academic year. From 2026-27 onwards, the rule will be strictly implemented,” Bangarappa was quoted by DH.
Parents argue that the rigid cut-off is affecting children who are short by a few days. One parent was quoted by DH as saying that his daughter would be 12 days short of completing six years on June 1. Such parents would be forced to repeat a year despite being academically ready. Others pointed out that children promoted from LKG to UKG during the 2025-26 academic year are now facing uncertainty over their transition to Class 1.
Few parents also recalled that earlier, admissions were allowed for children aged between five years and 10 months and six years. Parents saw it as a more practical approach, with children born in November and December being disproportionately affected.
The issue of age criterion goes back to a government order issued in July 2022. The order mandated six years as the minimum age for Class 1 admission. Parents of children already enrolled in pre-primary classes, protested against the order and the state deferred implementation, announcing that the rule would come into force from the 2025-26 academic year.
After renewed pressure, the government granted a one-year relaxation for 2025-26, citing the large number of students affected and in consultation with the State Education Policy Commission. While announcing the exemption, the minister had stated that no further concessions would be allowed.
