Kalaburagi to emerge as a major IT–BT hub under LEAP initiative: Priyank Kharge

The State government is preparing to expand the IT and BT ecosystem in Kalaburagi under the Local Economy Accelerator Programme (LEAP), with plans to establish six strengthening centres across Karnataka, Rural Development & Panchayat Raj and IT & BT Minister and Kalaburagi in-charge Priyank Kharge said on Saturday.

Addressing a press conference here, the Minister said the initiative aims to decentralise the digital economy beyond Bengaluru and position Kalaburagi as a major growth node for the Kalyana Karnataka region. The plans were detailed in the presence of Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) CEO Sanjeev Gupta and Krishi Kalpa Foundation CEO C.M. Patil.

Mr. Priyank said that the government’s focus was on promoting new start-ups, Global Capability Centres (GCCs) and innovation hubs, while also boosting market access and nurturing next-generation entrepreneurs. He added that Kalaburagi had been identified as a strategic location for the expansion of the digital economy in northern Karnataka.

Speaking about the collaboration, Krishi Kalpa CEO C.M. Patil said that the foundation had begun operations in Kalaburagi by promoting entrepreneurship. “Under the LEAP programme, a new Rural Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre of Excellence and a prototyping lab for young and aspiring entrepreneurs will be established in the city. The centre will focus on agriculture, allied sectors and rural innovation,” he said.

As part of the initiative, the Kalaburagi district administration has allotted a 15,000 sq ft ready-to-use workspace, which will serve as the central hub for start-ups, innovators and entrepreneurship-related activities in the region, he added.

Mr. Patil noted that the Rural Innovation Centre would be built using Krishi Kalpa’s mentorship, market-access and finance-access model. “The upcoming high-end prototyping lab will allow product-based start-ups to design, build and test prototypes locally, helping innovators access facilities that were previously unavailable in the region,” he said.

Describing the initiative as a long-term commitment, Mr. Patil said the aim was to build a progressive entrepreneurial ecosystem that Kalaburagi and Kalyana Karnataka could be proud of. The LEAP initiative will be formally launched in early January 2026 and is expected to give structured momentum to entrepreneurship and innovation activities in the region, he added.

Reiterating his government’s equal commitment to strengthening agriculture and allied sectors, Mr. Priyank announced that an estimated ₹50 crore would be invested to establish a Centre of Excellence in agricultural processing, value addition and marketing in Kalaburagi.

MLAs Allamaprabhu Patil and Kaneez Fathima, MLCs Tippannappa Kamakanur and Jagadeva Guttedar, KUDA Chairman Mazhar Alam Khan, Gescom Chairman Praveen Harawal, KKRTC Chairman Arun Kumar M.Y. Patil, Deputy Commissioner Fauzia Taranum, Zilla Panchayat CEO Bhanwar Singh Meena, DFO Sumit Patil, City Corporation Commissioner Avinash Shinde, KUDA Commissioner Shivakumar Patil and other officials were present.