BENGALURU, Aug 21:
Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday launched KEO, an AI-enabled computing device developed through KEONICS, describing it as a step towards democratising access to artificial intelligence and ensuring that every government-school student in the state gets an opportunity to learn and build with emerging technologies.
Shivakumar said the launch was not merely about introducing a new device but about giving shape to a larger vision of making technology and AI accessible to children across Karnataka, from rural villages to urban centres.
“We don’t just launch a device. We launch a dream — the dream that every child in Karnataka, from rural villages to city centres, can learn, build and shape the future of artificial intelligence,” he said.
The government will initially deploy 1,000 KEO AI PCs in government schools, with the stated objective of eventually taking the technology to every government school in Karnataka, particularly those in rural areas.
“This is not a pilot. This is a commitment. This is a promise,” Shivakumar said, stressing that a child’s access to technology and opportunity should not be determined by their geographical location.
He said KEO represented the evolution of KEONICS from supporting technology projects to developing solutions aimed at creating wider social impact. The device, he said, could help students learn coding, artificial intelligence, machine learning and electronics while enabling teachers to use AI-based interactive learning tools.
‘Talent must not be limited to Bengaluru’
Shivakumar said KEO would help create a distributed talent pool across Karnataka instead of allowing technology opportunities to remain concentrated in Bengaluru.
“For years, talent flowed to Bengaluru. Today, with KEO, we are reversing that narrative,” he said, adding that a rural student using KEO could become a technology innovator, entrepreneur or problem-solver of the future.
He described the initiative as an effort to democratise opportunity and bridge the digital divide between government and private schools.
“Your child’s ZIP code should never determine their access to technology and opportunity,” he said.
The Chief Minister also called upon industry partners and CSR organisations to join the government’s effort to take KEO to every government school.
KEONICS’ legacy
Tracing Karnataka’s technology journey, Shivakumar recalled the role of former Chief Minister Devaraja Urs in establishing Electronic City and the subsequent contribution of former Chief Minister S M Krishna in strengthening Karnataka’s technology infrastructure.
He said KEONICS had played a crucial role in the development of Electronic City and in Karnataka’s transformation into a global technology hub.
“Devaraja Urs and S M Krishna built the foundation for an entire generation of innovation,” he said.
Shivakumar said KEO reflected Karnataka’s belief in developing homegrown technology solutions for local needs and demonstrated what could be achieved through collaboration between the government, KEONICS and the semiconductor and technology ecosystem.
He said KEO would evolve with technological advances, with more powerful processors, improved AI models and expanding possibilities for students.
“KEO is just the beginning,” Shivakumar said, reiterating the government’s objective of ensuring that every government school in Karnataka has access to the device.
He said the initiative was ultimately about creating a Karnataka where “talent knows no ZIP code”, opportunity is universal and innovation is accessible to all.
Speaking at the launch, Priyank Kharge, Hon’ble Minister for Home, Information Technology,
Biotechnology, and E-Governance, said “KEO is Karnataka’s practical answer to the digital divide.
It reflects the state’s commitment to inclusive innovation and accessible computing. It is not a luxury
device, but an inclusion device. Affordable mass computing will allow every student, every small
business and every household to participate fully in the digital economy. The launch of KEO further
strengthens Karnataka’s position as the nerve centre of India’s semiconductor and AI ecosystem.
Sharath Kumar Bache Gowda, Chairman, KEONICS, said “KEO was built around a simple
belief — powerful computing should not remain concentrated at the top of the pyramid. By adopting
an open-source RISC-V architecture and building the platform in Karnataka, we are creating
computing that is accessible, adaptable and designed to serve real needs on the ground. KEO is not
just a device; it is the beginning of a larger computing ecosystem that can grow across schools,
homes, businesses and institutions. The first few thousand units are only the beginning. With KEO
Lite and KEO Pro already taking shape, we are building a portfolio that can take affordable, AI-
ready computing to many more users and applications.”
Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Eshwar B. Khandre; Minister for Social Welfare, K.H. Muniyappa; Minister for Home, Information Technology, Biotechnology, and E-Governance, Priyank M. Kharge; Chairman, KEONICS,Sharath Kumar Bache Gowda; Dr. N. Manjula, IAS, Secretary, Department of Electronics, Information Technology,Biotechnology and Science & Technology; Dr. Avinash Menon Rajendran, IAS, Managing Director,KEONICS; senior Secretaries and Commissioners of the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj and Social Welfare Departments; Kris Gopalakrishnan, Co-founder, Infosys ,Prashant Prakash, Chairman, Karnataka Vision Group on Startups; representatives of Shikshana Foundation, RSA and Kyndryl; school principals, education stakeholders, and other senior officials and members of the technology and innovation ecosystem were also present at the launch.
