Priyank Kharge

Minister of IT

Government of Karnataka

Deep Tech & Quantum Computing

Entertainment, Media & Creators Economy

About Me

Priyank Kharge is Karnataka’s Minister for Electronics, IT & Biotechnology and Rural Development & Panchayat Raj. A three-term legislator, he is known for fusing tech-driven governance with inclusive development. As India’s youngest IT Minister in 2016, he helped Bengaluru emerge as the world’s fourth-largest tech cluster, launching innovation-first initiatives like ELEVATE, India’s largest government-backed seed fund program for early-stage startups. A sharp policy maven, he has driven agile policymaking in AVGC, Spacetech, Cybersecurity and Biotechnology to complement dynamic business needs. In his current tenure, alongside a deep focus on emerging technologies and workforce reskilling, he is also championing rural transformation, addressing water and energy security through tech-enabled interventions and streamlining service delivery through digital governance tools. A recipient of Intel’s 'Technology Visionary Award', the only Asian politician to receive the honour, Kharge brings a unique blend of policy acumen, innovation foresight and grassroots empathy to every platform he engages with.

Hear My Insights

Unveiling Startup Genome's 2025 Global Startup Ecosystem Report

Discover the latest insights shaping the global innovation landscape with the launch of Startup Genome’s Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) 2025. Drawing on over a decade of independent research and policy work, the GSER analyzes data from more than 5 million companies across 350+ innovation ecosystems — making it the most comprehensive research of its kind. Ranking the top 40 global ecosystems, top 100 emerging ecosystems, and detailed regional insights an expanded regional ranking, the GSER 2025 provides expert insights into the global startup landscape, offering a data-driven roadmap for founders, policymakers, and ecosystem leaders. In this session, we’ll reveal the latest rankings, cover global trends and explore the underlying drivers of today’s startup economy. Following the launch presentation, a distinguished panel of global policy makers and ecosystem leaders will share their interpretation of global trends and their impact on startups, ecosystem and economic development and related policy around the world.