100 engineering colleges in Karnataka to be 'adopted' by corporates by next year: IT Minister Kharge

Karnataka Information Technology Minister Priyank Kharge on Thursday said 100 engineering colleges are set to be "adopted" by an equal number of corporates by next year, as the government makes efforts to rope in industries to boost the employment prospects of students.

Citing an example, he quoted a big automobile company as saying that it is ready to provide jobs but students are not employable as they lack training.

He claimed that with the recently launched 'Nipuna Karnataka' initiative, Kannadigas will be the "most equipped, most well trained, with the best of skill sets, and the most employable youth in the world."

MoUs were also signed with Finland and Switzerland, strengthening ties in innovation and technology, and ensuring that startups gain access to global markets and the ecosystems of these countries, the minister said.

The minister said BTS 2024 celebrated innovation with the launch of 50 groundbreaking products by startups spanning diverse sectors, including Clean-Tech, Med-Tech, Agri-Tech, AI, and Blockchain.

He noted that many startups received seed funding through the flagship ELEVATE Idea2PoC (Proof of Concept) programme. Notably, 23 of the products launched were by women-led startups, emphasising Karnataka's commitment to inclusivity in innovation.