Karnataka government first scheme: Up to Rs 25 lakh for startup pilots

Karnataka is giving startups a new route to test, validate and potentially sell their solutions to the government, with its ‘Government First’ initiative offering up to Rs 25 lakh per startup for pilot deployments. Under the initiative, up to 100 startups will receive support over three years, with a total allocation of Rs 25 crore. Government First has been approved under the ELEVATE programme of the Karnataka Startup Policy 2025–30 and will be implemented by the Karnataka Innovation and Techno