Selected startups can get work orders of up to Rs 25 lakh each for pilot projects under an initiative called Government First under goverment’s flagship Elevate programme, announced as part of Karnataka’s Startup Policy 2025-30.
“It is a commitment to make the government a first customer and partner for promising startups. Our aim is to bring government and innovators together. Technology can be a powerful force for public good,” IT/BT minister Priyank Kharge said in a statement.
The government had earlier indicated plans to make the state a first customer for startups. The new framework sets out how startups can move from pilot projects to government procurement, allowing them to respond to challenges issued by government departments or propose their own solutions through a startup-initiated route.
The initiative will focus on solutions that are ready for deployment, rather than early-stage research and development projects, said the statement.
Successful pilots will be assessed against defined outcomes and can then be recommended for procurement and wider deployment.
Solutions that work in one department can also be considered by other departments, allowing startups to scale up their products across the government. Startups will retain ownership of their intellectual property, which the government said would give innovators greater confidence to deploy proprietary technology in the public sector.
The programme will cover areas such as artificial intelligence, digital governance, healthcare, agriculture, education and mobility. A three-tier mechanism will oversee the programme, with a selection committee handling the selection and approval of pilots, a technical committee overseeing implementation and milestone verification, and a review committee responsible for financial oversight.
The government said Government First will increase startup participation in public procurement while helping improve public services through the adoption of new technology.