Deadline: 16-Oct-2025
The Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS), Department of Electronics, IT, Biotechnology, and Science Technology, Government of Karnataka, invites proposals from eligible educational institutions for the establishment of Innovation Labs under the current financial year’s initiatives.
The focus of this opportunity is to foster innovation and entrepreneurship across Tier 2 and Tier 3 regions of Karnataka, supporting domain-specific learning, applied research, and student-led innovation through dedicated labs. The call targets 20 Innovation Labs in areas such as Biotechnology, Robotics, AgriTech, Cyber Security, and AIML, but is open to other domains as well. KITS aims to democratize opportunity, catalyze inclusive growth, generate employment, drive deep-tech breakthroughs, increase global visibility for regional ecosystems, and promote holistic development through its Local Economy Accelerator Program (LEAP). The initiative includes 16 strategic sub-programs with tailored interventions for six Beyond Bengaluru tech clusters, employing structured mentorship, outreach programs, and hands-on innovation challenges.
Eligible educational institutions must be recognized colleges affiliated to a university, autonomous colleges with NAAC accreditation, or ITI and polytechnic colleges recognized by the Department of Technical Education, Government of Karnataka. Institutions should be located in the Beyond Bengaluru region, have a minimum of six years’ operational history, and must not have received similar innovation lab grants in the past five years. A minimum of 2,500 sq ft of dedicated space is required for the lab, with commitments regarding equipment, faculty coordination, and access for other institutions. The selected institutions will receive up to INR 1.25 crores over five years to set up and run the Innovation Lab, structured in achievable tranches and tied to clear deliverables including student projects, outreach, and operational effectiveness.
Implementation involves KITS providing grant support, releasing payments on satisfactory progress, and formalizing roles and responsibilities through a Memorandum of Agreement. Educational institutions must ensure infrastructure setup, equipment procurement, operational management, facilitation of student projects, public access, outreach activities, monitoring and reporting, and a sustainability plan beyond the grant period. Standard equipment for the labs includes 3D printers, laser cutters, AR/VR devices, robotics kits, AI/ML developer kits, laptops, embedded systems kits, safety accessories, furniture, and more, as listed in the proposal document.
Institutions must submit their detailed proposals online via the provided form, along with necessary documents and enclosures, by 16th October 2025. Only proposals submitted through the official online format and backed by documents sent to the given email address will be evaluated.
For more information, visit Department of Electronics, Information Technology and Biotechnology.
