Bengaluru, March 9 The Karnataka government signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Krishi Kalpa Foundation on Monday to establish a Centre of Excellence in the agricultural and allied sector with a focus on rural areas in Kalaburagi, officials said.
The Memorandum of Agreement was signed by the Department of Electronics, Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science & Technology through the Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS), they said.
According to an official statement, the Centre of Excellence (CoE) will be established under the Local Economy Acceleration Programme (LEAP) — the Karnataka government's flagship initiative of Rs 1,000 crore, five-year project aimed at accelerating regional innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology-led economic growth across emerging clusters beyond Bengaluru.
Building on the government's earlier announcement of a Centre for Entrepreneurship in Kalaburagi, this agreement formalizes the operational framework to establish a dedicated research, innovation, and entrepreneurship hub focused on agriculture and allied sectors, with a strong emphasis on rural innovation and technology adoption.
As the implementing partner, NGO Krishi Kalpa Foundation will operationalize the Centre of Excellence and lead its programmatic activities, including innovation programs, startup support, research initiatives, and capacity-building efforts aligned with the objectives of the Karnataka government, officials said.
The CoE will support research and development, skill development, innovation programs, and industry-academia partnerships, while helping local innovators build scalable products and enterprises that address challenges across the agricultural value chain, they said.
Speaking on the initiative, IT Minister Priyank Kharge said, "Kalyana Karnataka has immense potential to emerge as a hub for innovation in agriculture and rural enterprise. Through the LEAP programme, the Government of Karnataka is committed to bringing technology, entrepreneurship, and opportunity closer to our communities beyond Bengaluru.
"The Centre of Excellence in Kalaburagi will create a strong platform for farmers, startups, researchers, and young innovators to collaborate on cutting-edge agri-tech solutions, while strengthening livelihoods and driving sustainable economic growth across the region," he said.
The agreement will remain in force for a period of five years, during which the CoE will work towards building a vibrant rural innovation ecosystem and accelerating technology-led development in agriculture and allied sectors across the Kalyana Karnataka region, officials added.
