Karnataka explores voice AI pilots with ElevenLabs across skilling, health and citizen services

The Government of Karnataka is exploring pilot projects using voice AI from ElevenLabs in several sectors, including skilling, investment promotion, healthcare, culture and citizen services. This discussion took place on 27 August 2026 in Bengaluru between Priyank Kharge, the Minister for Home, Information Technology, Biotechnology and E-Governance, and a delegation from ElevenLabs.

No agreement has been signed yet, as this is still an exploratory phase. Karnataka has been actively pursuing partnerships with global AI firms throughout the year, signing a letter of intent with the World Economic Forum for an AI center and establishing a Center of Excellence in AI with a budget of Rs 28 crore. The state is also focusing on developing a dedicated AI framework and doubling startup grants to up to Rs 1 crore.

During this exploratory meeting, the delegation from ElevenLabs, consisting of Ben Supple, Nihal Chauhan, and Arielle Andrews, presented five potential applications of voice AI. These include voice-enabled interview practice and skilling in Indian languages, investor assistance services, voice restoration for those who have lost their ability to speak, voice technology for cultural and public-service initiatives, and responsible AI and voice safety to combat deepfakes and misinformation.

The discussions highlighted the importance of creating a clear roadmap for potential pilots that can demonstrate significant public impact. The ElevenLabs team demonstrated a voice-enabled interview-practice tool and shared their work on synthetic-audio detection, synthetic audio watermarking, and provenance. A key concern was the potential misuse of AI-generated voices to spread false information about government schemes and announcements.

The government aims to establish a clear method for verifying the authenticity of audio clips in circulation. Following the meeting, ElevenLabs invited Kharge to its India summit in Bengaluru on 6 October to present its India plans.