Karnataka, Chile explore partnerships in tech, clean energy, startups

Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge met a high-level Chilean delegation led by Foreign Minister Francisco Perez Mackenna to explore partnerships in emerging technologies, clean energy, and startup ecosystems, aiming for actionable collaboration.

Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge on Wednesday met a high-level Chilean delegation led by Chilean Foreign Minister Francisco Perez Mackenna at Vidhana Soudha to explore partnerships in emerging technologies, clean energy and startup ecosystems.

According to an official release, the visit reflects Karnataka's growing prominence as a preferred destination for global partnerships in technology, innovation and startups.

The Chilean delegation included Vice-Minister of Commerce Paula Estevez Weinstein, Chile's Ambassador to India Juan Angulo, and Chief Negotiator for the India-Chile Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) Felipe Lopeandia, along with senior government and industry representatives.

Dr N Manjula, Secretary, Department of Electronics, Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science and Technology, Government of Karnataka, and Rahul Sharanappa Sankannur, Director, Department of Electronics, IT and BT and Managing Director of Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS), were also present during the discussions.

The release stated that discussions reflected a "strong alignment" between Chile's technology-driven growth strategy and Karnataka's leadership in innovation and deep-tech sectors. Both sides explored partnerships beyond conventional industries, focusing on innovation-led growth, talent exchange and improved market access, the release stated.

The engagement builds on the Letter of Intent signed between Karnataka and Chile during the Bengaluru Tech Summit, which established a framework for collaboration in startups, emerging technologies, research and skill development under the Global Innovation Alliance initiative.

Karnataka: A Global Hub for Innovation

"Karnataka today is a global hub for deep-tech, AI, biotech, aerospace, and advanced research, backed by one of the strongest talent pipelines in the world," said Minister Priyank Kharge. "As partners under the Global Innovation Alliance, we must move beyond agreements on paper to actionable collaboration. We are keen to work with Chile on startup exchanges, market access programmes, and building joint innovation corridors, including R&D centres, incubators, and accelerators. Chile's position as a gateway to Latin America presents a significant opportunity for our startups to scale globally," he added.

Chile's Vision for a Tech-Driven Economy

Chilean Foreign Minister Francisco Perez Mackenna said Chile was actively pursuing its transition towards a knowledge-based and technology-driven economy. "Chile is actively advancing its transition towards a knowledge- and technology-driven economy. Our engagement with Karnataka reflects our interest in building strong innovation partnerships that enable technology exchange, talent collaboration, and access to dynamic startup ecosystems. We see strong potential to work together across sectors such as clean energy, digital technologies, and emerging industries, while also strengthening Chile's role as a bridge between India and Latin America," Mackenna said.

Focus on Strategic Cooperation

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepen cooperation in emerging technologies, startups and research collaborations. During the discussions, Chile positioned itself as a strategic gateway for Karnataka-based startups looking to access Latin American markets.

Key areas of cooperation discussed included renewable energy, particularly green hydrogen and sustainable industrial innovation. The two sides also explored potential collaboration in marine biotechnology, aquaculture technologies and artificial intelligence applications across traditional industries.

Advancing Sub-National Partnership

According to the release, both delegations discussed strengthening engagement under the Global Innovation Alliance through structured programmes, institutional partnerships and ecosystem linkages. The visit also highlighted Bengaluru's growing emergence as a major global hub for technology, innovation and startup-driven growth.

The release stated that the engagement marked an important step towards advancing India-Chile cooperation at the sub-national level, with Karnataka and Chile aligning on a partnership focused on innovation, sustainability and global growth.

Following the meeting, the Chilean delegation visited the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP) to gain insights into Karnataka's biotechnology innovation ecosystem and its role in supporting startups, research and translational science. (ANI)

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