Karnataka has inked five Memorandums of Understanding with technology behemoths to train one lakh citizens in advanced technologies over the next one year.

The MoUs fall under the newly launched Nipuna Karnataka initiative, which seeks to fill in the increasing demand for skilled professionals in the tech sector with the target to place 70 per cent of the trainees in relevant roles. The MoUs were signed at the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2024 (BTS).

Under the program, Microsoft will annually train 10,000 people in deep tech, while Intel will train 20,000 annual trainees on Artificial Intelligence. Accenture has agreed to train 10,000 individuals on newly emerging technologies, including cybersecurity and quantum computing. IBM will enroll the most significant cohort, with 50,000 persons trained in AI and cloud technologies. The BFSI Consortium will also train 10,000 trainees with specific skills for banking, financial services, and insurance.

The Karnataka government also made public its intention to set up a CoE in Artificial Intelligence, which is going to be spearheaded by IIT Alumni Center Bangalore (IITACB).

One of the biggest initiatives the state government undertook is the Startup Springboard program. This programme debuted to facilitate Karnataka's startup ecosystem with better access to investors, mentors, infrastructure, and training.