The Department of Electronics, IT & BT, Government of Karnataka has unveiled the Karnataka Startup Policy 2025–2030, laying out an ambitious blueprint to position the state as a global innovation and deep-tech hub over the next five years. The policy was launched as part of National Startup Month during a felicitation ceremony in Bengaluru honouring 146 Idea2PoC winners under the ELEVATE 2025 programme.
Celebrating ELEVATE 2025 winners
The event recognised 103 ELEVATE 2025 winners, 33 ELEVATE Unnati winners, and 10 ELEVATE Minorities 2025 start-ups, with a total committed grant of ₹38.85 crore. The ELEVATE programme offers a one-time grant-in-aid of up to ₹50 lakh, along with mentoring and subsidised incubation support at government-backed incubation centres to aid product development and validation.
Notably, Karnataka remains the first state in India to extend grant-in-aid support to start-ups without taking any equity, underlining a progressive and founder-friendly policy approach.
Addressing the gathering, Priyank Kharge, Hon’ble Minister for Information Technology & Biotechnology and Rural Development & Panchayat Raj, Government of Karnataka, said the sustained success of ELEVATE lies in its mission-mode execution. “Since its launch in 2017, ELEVATE has evolved into a powerful enabler by providing financial assistance, mentorship, and ecosystem support. It continues to drive technological advancement, job creation, and inclusive economic growth across Karnataka,” he noted.
The event was attended by senior government and ecosystem leaders including Rizwan Arshad, Manjula N, Sharath Bachegowda, and Rahul Sharanappa Sankanur.
Industry participation and founder stories
Founders Co-Rover.ai and TRASHCON shared their entrepreneurial journeys, highlighting how ELEVATE support helped them innovate and scale. The Department also facilitated the exchange of a Startup Booster Kit MoA with PhonePe and STT Global Data Centres, strengthening industry participation and access to infrastructure, resources, and ecosystem enablement for ELEVATE-supported start-ups.
Diversity and regional inclusion at the core
A sector-wise analysis of the 103 ELEVATE 2025 winners highlights Karnataka’s focus on diversified innovation:
– 23 start-ups from agri-tech, biotechnology, food & beverages, and food processing
– 19 from consumer electronics, ESDM, and aerospace
– 14 from healthcare and pharmaceuticals
– Others spanning IT services, education, BFSI, and allied technology domains
Of the ELEVATE 2025 winners, 43% are women-led enterprises, and 43% are based beyond Bengaluru, reinforcing the state’s commitment to inclusive and decentralised entrepreneurship.
The ELEVATE Unnati programme awarded 33 SC/ST-led start-ups with grants worth ₹9.52 crore, while ELEVATE Minorities supported 10 start-ups with ₹3.65 crore. Since 2017, ELEVATE has disbursed ₹287.85 crore to 1,230 start-ups, with 37% from beyond Bengaluru and 28% led by women entrepreneurs.
Karnataka Startup Policy 2025–2030: key highlights
The new policy earmarks ₹570.675 crore and aims to:
– Establish 25,000 new start-ups by 2030, including 10,000 from beyond Bengaluru
– Drive leadership in emerging technologies such as AI, blockchain, quantum computing, and sustainability solutions
– Operate across seven pillars: funding, incubation, mentoring, market access, international collaboration, inclusion & sustainability, and regulatory facilitation
– Support start-ups across their full lifecycle—from ideation and prototyping to global expansion and IPO readiness
– Enable a Government First initiative, allowing start-ups to engage the Government of Karnataka as their first customer
New initiatives: ELEVATE NxT and Beyond Bengaluru Seed Fund
To deepen its focus on deep tech, the state has launched ELEVATE NxT under the LEAP (Local Economy Accelerator Programme), with ₹150 crore earmarked to support frontier technologies including AI, ML, IoT, robotics, quantum computing, green energy, cybersecurity, and SpaceTech. Each selected start-up can receive up to ₹1 crore in milestone-based grant support.
In parallel, the ₹75 crore Beyond Bengaluru Cluster Seed Fund has been launched to accelerate start-up growth in emerging clusters such as Mysuru, Mangaluru, and Hubballi–Dharwad. Managed by Karnataka Asset Management Company in collaboration with Karnataka Digital Economy Mission, the fund will deploy equity and equity-linked investments to catalyse job creation, exports, and innovation density in non-metro regions.
With the Startup Policy 2025–30 and a strengthened ELEVATE framework, the Government of Karnataka has reaffirmed its ambition to cement the state’s position as India’s premier start-up and innovation hub, driving inclusive, innovation-led growth through the next decade.