Bengaluru: In a bid to make govt an early adopter of emerging technologies, Karnataka is finalising a ‘govt first’ policy that will enable departments to directly procure innovative solutions from startups, bypassing conventional procurement hurdles that often prevent young firms from working with govt.To push tech-driven governance, Karnataka is also turning to centres of excellence to identify startup solutions that can be adopted for public use.Expected to be rolled out by Sept, the new policy, which has received clearance from the finance department, is being placed before the cabinet for approval. Speaking to TOI on the sidelines of Bengaluru India Nano India 2026 conference, IT dept secretary Manjula V told TOI that the consultation exercise with other departments is being undertaken because the policy is intended to be applicable across departments and not just the IT dept.She said the proposed framework is aimed at solving a long-standing problem faced by startups — the inability to participate in conventional govt tenders despite having innovative products. Since many deep-tech startups are original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) with one-of-a-kind technologies, they often do not have competitors for price comparison, nor do they satisfy eligibility conditions such as prior govt experience, turnover or large project execution.Manjula said: “We are coming out as where technologies can be critically evaluated by a committee of experts who can assess whether they are worthy of adoption and also recommend an appropriate cost. Based on those recommendations, such startup solutions can be rolled out in govt.”The govt is also working closely with its Centres of Excellence to identify startups developing technologies that can be replicated in real-world govt applications.She said the policy is expected to significantly benefit Karnataka’s startup ecosystem by providing companies with their first govt customer, something many founders have been seeking.
