Bengaluru: The state cabinet led by Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar Friday approved the Karnataka Marine Biotechnology Policy 2026-2031, outlining a five-year framework aimed at unlocking the economic potential of the state’s “Blue Bioeconomy” along its 340-km long coastline.
The state government also approved a ‘Sustainable Data Centre Policy 2026–2031’ to position itself as a global Hub for Next-Generation Digital Infrastructure. Under this policy, the state targeted 1 Giga Watts (GW) of cumulative Data Centre IT load and 10-12 percent of India’s AI-ready Data Centre capacity by 2031.
“The policy seeks to strengthen Karnataka’s digital infrastructure backbone at a time when the rapid growth of Artificial Intelligence, cloud computing, IoT, 5G, Global Capability Centres (GCCs), FinTech and other emerging technologies is driving unprecedented demand for computing capacity,” said Priyank Kharge, Karnataka’s Minister for Home Affairs, Information Technology, Biotechnology, and E-Governance.
The government has set aside a revised budget framework of Rs 1,300.45 crore for the implementation of the five-year policy.
The new Blue Bioeconomy policy, approved by the cabinet in the coastal city of Mangaluru, aims to expand the size of the sector from approximately $2 billion to $6-8 billion by 2031.
“Our objective is to move from simply recognising the potential of our marine resources to creating products, technologies, companies and intellectual property around them. This means strengthening research infrastructure, enabling startups and industry to take innovations from the laboratory to the market, and creating value in areas such as seaweed, marine biomaterials, bioprocessing and sustainable aquaculture,” said Kharge.
Under the new policy, the government has set aside Rs 120 crore for a five-year period. These funds are to be utilised for the establishment of a Karnataka Institute of Marine Biotechnology and Blue Economy (KIMBE) and development of marine biotechnology zones, besides introduction of a Karnataka Pilot Blue Carbon Certification Programme.
The government also plans to launch a performance-linked incentive (PLI) scheme to encourage the manufacturing of high-value products derived from seaweed, including hydrocolloids, nutraceuticals, biofertilizers, biostimulants, marine biomaterials, bioplastics, bio-based chemicals, and biofuels.
However, Kharge added that growth targets must remain responsible and rooted in sustainability, which can enable an ecosystem where “science, enterprise and the Blue Economy can grow together”.
The three coastal distrcits–Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada–have around 1 million fishermen engaged in marine and inland fisheries, according to the state’s economic survey (2025-26).
The state recorded fish production of around 9.63 lakh metric tonnes in 2024-25, up from around 5.81 lakh metric tonnes in 2015-16. Fish production contributes around 0.48 percent to GSDP.
Kharge said that the government has approved the establishment of KIMBE as the institutional anchor for marine biotechnology research, innovation, commercialisation and ecosystem development. The government also plans to set up marine research infrastructure, such as the creation of advanced laboratories and facilities focused on genomics, molecular biology, microbiology, bioinformatics, fermentation, marine bioprocessing, bioprospecting and marine biodiversity.
The state, Kharge said, would also pilot a ‘Blue Carbon Certification Programme’ to scientifically assess, certify and recognise carbon sequestration through seaweed cultivation and other eligible coastal blue-carbon ecosystems, and an incubation centre. These measures, he said, would create approximately 10,000 new jobs both directly and indirectly.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
Also Read: