3 weeks ago
Karnataka plans India's first AI university, seeks Anthropic partnership
Karnataka is a state in India that is home to many technology companies.
The leader of the state, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, has a big plan to use artificial intelligence all across the state.
Artificial intelligence, or AI, is a kind of computer program that can learn and solve problems.
The state wants to build a special university just for learning about AI, and it would be the first one in India.
The university would be built in the city of Bengaluru, with smaller campuses in other cities.
They also want to start teaching AI to students from Class VI.
The government met with a company called Anthropic, which makes AI, to work together on the plan.
The plan includes training up to two lakh people, which is 200,000 people, to get good jobs in AI.
The government also wants to use AI to catch fraud, protect exam papers, and make government services work faster.
The goal is to create jobs, help students learn, and keep Karnataka's technology businesses growing.
Karnataka plans India's first government-driven AI University on a 100-acre campus in Bengaluru, with regional campuses in five other cities.
Chief Minister DK Shivakumar met an Anthropic delegation led by Michael Sellitto at Vidhana Soudha on August 6, 2026, to discuss AI collaboration.
The state aims to train up to two lakh people in AI skills and support 25,000 new startups under a planned Startup Policy.
The plan includes AI education from Class VI, two next-generation green data centres, and AI use in governance to detect fraud and secure examinations.
Karnataka's startup ecosystem is valued at around $153 billion and hosts about 39% of India's generative-AI startups.
- Who
- Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, state IT and Home Minister Priyank Kharge, and an Anthropic delegation led by Head of International Policy Michael Sellitto.
- What
- A plan to build India's first government-driven AI University, train up to two lakh people in AI, support 25,000 new startups, and apply AI to governance, fraud detection and examination security.
- Where
- Karnataka, India — the AI University is planned for a 100-acre campus in Bengaluru, with regional campuses in Kalaburagi, Belagavi, Hubballi-Dharwad, Mangaluru and Mysuru.
- When
- Announced in early August 2026; the key meeting with Anthropic took place on August 6, 2026.
- Why
- To integrate AI into governance and education, reduce fraud, create skilled employment, attract investment and strengthen Karnataka's $153 billion startup ecosystem.
Key facts
- Startup ecosystem value
- $153 billion
- AI training target
- Up to 2 lakh (200,000) people
- New startups planned
- 25,000
- AI University campus
- 100 acres in Bengaluru; regional campuses in Kalaburagi, Belagavi, Hubballi-Dharwad, Mangaluru and Mysuru
- University launch target
- Full operations within three years; AI education from Class VI
- Share of India's software exports
- Nearly 40%
- Share of India's generative-AI startups
- Approximately 39%
- Key meeting date
- August 6, 2026, at Vidhana Soudha
Quotes
Priyank Kharge
Minister for IT, BT, Karnataka
“"Anthropic can probably reach 50,000 people by itself. But if it works with industry and the government, we can reach up to two lakh people."”
financialexpress.com
“"AI-native state"”
financialexpress.com
Michael Sellitto
Head of International Policy at Anthropic
“"The meeting discussed potential areas of collaboration between Anthropic and the Government of Karnataka, including AI-enabled citizen services, governance, skilling, startup enablement and scientific research."”
financialexpress.com
Sources
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