‘Game changer for state’: Priyank Kharge highlights rising global interest in Karnataka’s AI ecosystem

BENGALURU: Rural Development Minister and Congress leader Priyank Kharge said the state is witnessing strong global interest in emerging technologies, particularly in artificial intelligence, as delegations from multiple countries explore partnerships ahead of the AI Impact Summit.

Speaking about the AI delegation meet in Bengaluru, Priyank Kharge said, “There is a lot of interest in Karnataka from the entire world since we have the demography, we have the talent pool, and more importantly, we have the right policies for emerging technologies”. He added that the state hosted a delegation from the UK, with teams from France and Spain scheduled to visit soon.

“Today we had a delegation from the UK, we have a delegation from France and Spain coming up and of course from other countries as well. There are a lot of private sectors from these countries also coming in and looking at Bengaluru as their hub for innovation. So it’s very encouraging, and I think this will be a game changer for the state in the coming few years”, Kharge said.

#WATCH | Bengaluru | On AI delegation meet, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge says, “There is a lot of interest for Karnataka from around the world as we have the demography, the talent pool, and the right policies and emerging technologies….This will be a game changer for… pic.twitter.com/JfCvfPlNih

— ANI (@ANI) February 16, 2026

Meanwhile, Kanishka Narayan, the UK’s AI Minister, hailed the close tech ties between India and the United Kingdom and underlined that the recent visits by PM Modi and PM Starmer have further given impetus to the ties cutting across tech to trade.

He spoke of how the two countries share a joint vision for the future of AI, “We have a very joint set of values, a joint set of focus areas, and a very joint sense of enthusiasm for where AI goes in our countries”. With New Delhi hosting the Global AI Impact Summit, he praised AI Awareness as a key pillar of the Summit and said that it will take the two countries further ahead in deepening collaboration across tech.

Narayan said, “The UK and India have a very close relationship when comes to technology. We have a fantastic base in the free trade agreement where countries both looking at two things- one) the adoption of AI to make sure we’re spreading opportunity for people both across the UK and India and secondly, the responsible adoption of AI, looking at safety regulation, looking at how we can make sure that children and women and girls across our countries are kept safe in terms of online experiences as well. Awareness is definitely part of it, but the crux of it is the summit makes practical what we’ve been working on together. Both our countries have been working very closely on our collaboration and technology. The summit is going to take us one step further in a very significant way.”

Narayan praised Bengaluru’s tech prowess and said, “Bengaluru is the beating heart of the world’s tech ecosystem, and we have in common with what Karnataka is thinking of doing in technology and what we’re thinking of it in the UK. And so with Bengaluru, London, and the UK and Karnataka coming together, we can achieve a lot more”. (ANI)