Bengaluru, Jul 15 (PTI) The Karnataka government will out a comprehensive and sustainable Data Centre Policy to support the infrastructure requirements of artificial intelligence and next-generation computing, Bengaluru Business Corridor chairman L K Atheeq said here on Wednesday.
Atheeq, who is also the financial advisor to Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, made the announcement at the inaugural edition of the GCC Summit 2026, organised by Maxpo Exhibitions Pvt Ltd. in partnership with the Department of Electronics, Information Technology and Biotechnology, and the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission, here.
He said the policy would create the digital infrastructure required to support AI-led innovation and next-generation computing, while complementing the state’s broader AI vision.
“Today everyone is talking about Artificial Intelligence. Naturally, every organisation wants to embrace AI. But AI also brings significant infrastructure challenges. It requires data centres,” Atheeq said.
Stressing that data centres require reliable power and water, he said, “Karnataka is working on a comprehensive and sustainable Data Centre Policy, which will be rolled out very soon.” He referred to CM Shivakumar’s announcement at the Google I/O Connect event, where he said that Karnataka will establish India’s first and largest public sector-led AI University, alongside a world-class AI Hub, on an approximately 100-acre campus.
“Discussions are currently underway regarding the final location. The AI University we are envisioning will not resemble a conventional university with traditional departments and hierarchical structures. It must be a new-age institution-flat, multidisciplinary, inclusive and collaborative,” he said.
Alongside it, Atheeq said, the AI Hub will function as an incubation and innovation ecosystem, providing startups with a sandbox to build and scale AI solutions.
According to him, the university will focus on four broad objectives: Building AI capabilities, conducting research into real-world AI applications, commercialising AI solutions to solve business and societal challenges, and creating public digital infrastructure for AI.
“We want AI to address practical challenges in agriculture, education, healthcare, climate, governance and many other sectors,” he said.
He noted that the government itself is one of the largest repositories of data.
“Yet we barely utilise this resource effectively. If government data can be responsibly leveraged, we can better understand citizen needs, improve service delivery, identify bottlenecks and significantly enhance governance outcomes through AI,” he said.
Pointing out that many startups cannot afford expensive GPU infrastructure, he said, “We must create shared access to GPU (Graphical Processing Unit) computing at affordable rates. We also envision a large public AI resource library that is open and accessible to everyone.” He further announced that a Vision Group for the AI University will be constituted shortly with significant participation from the private sector, while reaffirming the government’s commitment to expanding Global Capability Centre (GCC) growth beyond Bengaluru into emerging technology clusters across Karnataka.
“Very shortly, we will constitute a Vision Group for the AI University. While the university will be public sector-led, it will involve extensive participation from the private sector,” Atheeq said.
He also highlighted that whenever Bengaluru is discussed, the focus inevitably turns to traffic and infrastructure. As one of the world’s fastest-growing cities, Bengaluru is expected to continue expanding over the next two decades. To manage this growth, “we are pursuing two parallel strategies — promoting growth beyond Bengaluru and making unprecedented investments within the city, with nearly Rs 1.5 lakh crore committed to infrastructure development.” “I currently chair the Bengaluru Business Corridor Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), which is constructing a multi-lane corridor connecting BIEC on Tumakuru Road near Nelamangala to Electronic City via Yelahanka, Whitefield and Sarjapur. This project, valued at approximately Rs 25,000 crore, has already secured funding. Tenders for the first package have been completed and work has commenced,” he said.
“Once completed, over the next two to three years, this corridor will significantly improve connectivity between the airport, Whitefield, Sarjapur, Electronic City and other major economic zones,” he said, assuring that major investments are being made in public transport.
He said Karnataka alone has over 1,080 GCC units, accounting for nearly 30 per cent of India’s total. More importantly, 34 per cent of India’s GCC talent is based in Bengaluru.
“Global Capability Centres are no longer back-office operations. They are designing products, leading innovation and increasingly functioning as the second headquarters of global enterprises,” he said, adding that Karnataka remains committed to creating the talent, infrastructure and innovation ecosystem that will power the next generation of global enterprises.
At the event, Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS) managing director Avinash Menon Rajendran highlighted the state’s dedicated GCC Policy, NIPUNA– the government’s flagship skilling initiative for emerging technologies — and KATALYST, Karnataka’s dedicated facilitation mechanism for GCCs, as key pillars supporting the state’s next phase of GCC growth through future-ready talent, innovation and industry facilitation.
“The next chapter of the GCC story will not be defined by scale alone. It will be defined by innovation, intellectual property, AI leadership and the ability to create global impact from India,” he added. PTI AMP KH
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