*Karnataka Calls for Stronger Government-Industry Partnership to Build Future-Ready BFSI & FinTech Ecosystem*
Government First initiative to create pathways for startups to pilot solutions with government; industry urged to partner on skilling, innovation, data and emerging technologies
*Bengaluru, October 7, 2026*-
The Government of Karnataka called for deeper collaboration with the BFSI and FinTech industry to strengthen the State’s technology ecosystem and accelerate the adoption of innovative solutions for businesses, government and citizens.
The call came during an Industry Meet on BFSI & FinTech, organised by the Department of Electronics, IT & Bt, Government of Karnataka, as a prelude to Bengaluru Tech Summit 2026. The interaction brought together BFSI and FinTech leaders, startup founders, investors, technology companies and ecosystem stakeholders for an open discussion with Shri Priyank Kharge, Hon’ble Minister for Home, Information Technology, Biotechnology and E-Governance, Government of Karnataka. Dr. N. Manjula, IAS, Secretary to Government, Department of Electronics, Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science & Technology, Government of Karnataka, was also present during the interaction.
Speaking at the interaction, Priyank Kharge said “The future of Karnataka’s technology ecosystem will be built through partnership. Government cannot do this alone, and industry cannot do it alone. Our role as a government is to listen, create the right platforms, remove barriers wherever we can and create an environment where innovation can be tested and adopted responsibly. Through initiatives such as Government First, we want startups to have a pathway to solve real government problems, test their solutions and, where they demonstrate value, scale them across departments. At the same time, we need industry to help us shape skills, Centres of Excellence, policies and the technologies that government should adopt. Whether it is AI, FinTech, cybersecurity, data, compute, financial inclusion or emerging technologies, the pace of change is faster than policy can anticipate. That is why continuous dialogue with the people building these technologies is critical. Karnataka’s ambition cannot stop at being one of the world’s leading technology ecosystems. We have to aspire to global leadership – learning from the best in the world, while also building solutions that the rest of the world can learn from. We see the industry not merely as stakeholders, but as partners in progress.”
The interaction highlighted avenues for participation across the conference, exhibition, partnerships and other strategic engagements at BTS 2026. The BFSI & FinTech Programme is supported by TiEBangalore, Elets Technomedia, BFSI Consortium, IAMAI and KDEM. With BTS 2026 bringing together technology leaders, innovators, startups, investors and enterprises from India and across the world, it offers the BFSI ecosystem a valuable platform to explore emerging technologies, forge collaborations and engage with solutions shaping the future of financial services.
The Finverse track puts the spotlight on the future of finance, bringing together conversations around FinTech, AI, digital finance and the technologies transforming the financial services landscape.
The discussion covered a wide range of issues shaping the future of the BFSI and technology ecosystem, including:
• Government First and startup adoption: Creating a pathway for startups to pilot innovative solutions with government, with the possibility of scaling successful solutions across departments.
• Regulatory frameworks and ease of doing business: Identifying regulatory gaps and challenges faced by FinTech and emerging technology companies, and taking up issues that fall within the State’s remit while advocating others with the Union Government and relevant regulators.
• Data access and regulatory sandboxes: Enabling startups to responsibly access government datasets and test emerging technologies in controlled environments to develop solutions for public use.
• Trust, safety and responsible innovation: Building appropriate guardrails as AI, quantum technologies and other emerging technologies rapidly evolve.
• Technology adoption across government: Strengthening collaboration between the IT & Bt Department and other government departments to identify, test and deploy technology solutions for public services.
• Startup-friendly procurement: Creating opportunities for startups to demonstrate their technologies through pilots before moving towards larger-scale government adoption.
• Industry-led skilling: Developing job-ready talent for BFSI, FinTech, AI, cybersecurity and other emerging sectors through curricula designed in partnership with industry.
• Centres of Excellence: Expanding government-industry-academia collaboration through Centres of Excellence across emerging technology domains.
• AI and affordable compute: Exploring ways to improve access to AI compute infrastructure and build capabilities in AI and quantum technologies.
• AI and data sovereignty: Developing responsible approaches to the use of AI and protecting sensitive citizen data while enabling innovation in governance.
• Cybersecurity and data protection: Strengthening cybersecurity capabilities and preparing government systems for emerging digital and AI-related risks.
• Financial inclusion: Exploring technology-led solutions for financial literacy, digital financial literacy and improved access to financial services.
• Beyond Bengaluru: Expanding technology-led employment, entrepreneurship and innovation beyond Bengaluru and across Karnataka.
• Global technology leadership: Building stronger government-industry partnerships to position Karnataka not only as a leading technology ecosystem, but as a global source of technology, innovation and digital solutions.
The interaction also highlighted the potential of the Government First programme to create a more accessible pathway for startups to work with government. Under the initiative, startups can propose solutions to public problems as well as respond to problem statements identified by government departments, enabling technology to be evaluated through pilots before wider adoption.
The BFSI and FinTech community also emphasised the importance of closer collaboration between industry and academia to build a future-ready talent pool, while discussions around AI, compute, data sovereignty and cybersecurity highlighted the need for continued government-industry engagement as emerging technologies reshape financial services and public administration.
The BFSI & FinTech Industry Meet was organised as a prelude to Bengaluru Tech Summit 2026, which will be held from November 17–19, 2026 at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC).
