Karnataka has announced plans to create one lakh new jobs, expand AI education, and build technology hubs across the state, with Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar unveiling the measures in his 80th Independence Day address in Bengaluru on 15 August 2026.
Shivakumar launched the Udyoga Sankalpa and Udyoga Nidhi schemes to lift employment and entrepreneurship. Under Udyoga Nidhi, entrepreneurs in 10 economically backward districts will receive ₹2,500 per month for every new job created, for a period of two years, with a target of one lakh additional jobs. The government is also working to fill about 72,000 government vacancies, with notifications expected within six months.
The plan leans heavily on artificial intelligence and skilling. AI will be introduced in government schools from Class 6, alongside the proposed AI Akshara Abhiyana and Coding Gurukula programmes. Bengaluru is set to get India’s first government-owned AI university, and five global technology centres are proposed in Kalaburagi, Belagavi, Hubballi-Dharwad, Mangaluru, and Mysuru.
The employment push sits within a larger economic frame. An Advanced Manufacturing Cluster at Doddaballapura has drawn around ₹20,000 crore in investment commitments and could add close to one lakh jobs, while the state has set a target of a $3 trillion economy by 2047. Karnataka says it approved 945 investment proposals worth more than ₹1.34 lakh crore over the past three years.
