Karnataka govt unveils new IT, spacetech, and startup policies at BTS 2025

The Karnataka government on Tuesday unveiled three new policies focusing on information technology, spacetech, and startups, as it pitched the state as a key global investment destination.

At the inaugural day of the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2025 (BTS)—the flagship tech event organised by the Karnataka state government—Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said these policies are aimed at making Karnataka a global destination for deeptech investments.

The three new policies unveiled are the Information Technology Policy, the SpaceTech Policy, and the Startup Policy for the period between 2025 and 2030.

“We are building a future-ready state through centres of excellence in AI, cybersecurity, robotics, quantum and the Beyond Bengaluru initiative to expand opportunities across districts. Karnataka continues to be India’s most trusted investment destination with clear policies and a culture that champions talent, innovation, and global ambition,” the Chief Minister said.

The Karnataka IT policy focuses on driving innovation, strengthening digital infrastructure, and fostering emerging technologies such as AI, cybersecurity, semiconductor design, and cloud computing. The policy seeks to boost IT penetration across Tier II and III cities, enabling balanced regional development and job creation. It also promotes sustainable and inclusive digital development through startups, women-led enterprises, and socially impactful tech solutions.

The space technology policy aims to strengthen both upstream and downstream space capabilities through dedicated manufacturing parks, advanced testing infrastructure, and a new centre of excellence for space technology. Overall, the policy sets a strong foundation to capture 50% of India’s space market and significantly expand Karnataka’s footprint in the global space economy.

The startup 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.

Echoing the policy direction of the state government, Karnataka IT & BT Minister Priyank Kharge said they were devising policies where investment comes towards the talent and highlighted that the state has a strong base in this regard, which is also present beyond the capital city of Bengaluru.

Kharge remarked that the Local Economic Accelerator Programme is creating clusters across several regions of Karnataka and harnessing their demographic dividend and talent pool, further acting as an accelerator of innovation. “We can innovate not just for Karnataka but for the world, which will come from beyond Bengaluru,” the minister said.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said, “Bengaluru’s strength comes from the two pillars—technology and talent. This city now hosts over 400 R&D centres, 500 Fortune companies, 12,000 active startups and contributes more than 40% of India’s software exports. We’re investing more than Rs 1.5 lakh crore to push infrastructure at high speed.”