{
  "id": 10980824,
  "title": "State to become first customer for 100 start-ups under ‘Government First’ initiative",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/state-to-become-first-customer-for-100-start-ups-under-government",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-30T16:06:36.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/state-to-become-first-customer-for-100-start-ups-under-government-first-initiative/article71529747.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Karnataka government has launched a pioneering initiative called 'Government First' to become the inaugural customer for up to 100 start-ups over a three-year period, as detailed by Priyank Kharge, the State's Minister for Home, Information Technology, Biotechnology, and E-Governance. This ambitious endeavor, part of the Elevate program under the Karnataka Startup Policy 2025-30, is set to allocate a budget of ₹25 crore to the selected start-ups. The primary goal of this initiative is to create early market opportunities for innovative technologies and solutions developed by these start-ups, transforming the government's role from mere buyer to an active partner in fostering innovation.\n\nThe scope of the initiative encompasses a wide array of services and technology-based solutions, including information technology, artificial intelligence, data analytics, consultancy services, design, and transportation systems. Start-ups can propose solutions to the challenges faced by various government departments and explore creative answers to support the administration. Eligible start-ups will be provided with up to ₹25 lakh each to deploy and evaluate their solutions in real-world government environments.\n\nOut of the total grant of ₹25 crore, 95% (or ₹23.75 crore) is designated for supporting the start-ups, while the remaining 5% (or ₹1.25 crore) is set aside for administrative expenses. The State government has approved this initiative, aiming to not only serve as a customer but also to actively participate in the innovation ecosystem by adopting successful solutions for future government procurement.",
  "summary": "The programme will be implemented through the Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS) and it will offer start-ups early market opportunities",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}