Karnataka Opens First Call of ‘Government First’; Invites Startups to Solve Real Government Challenges• Selected startups can receive work orders of up to ₹25 lakh• Applications Open Until 23 October 2026

Bengaluru: The Government of Karnataka has opened the first call under its ‘Government First’ Initiative, inviting Karnataka based startups to bring deployment-ready solutions to the challenges highlighted by Government departments.

The first call focuses on two key areas — reimagining citizen-centric governance through Praja Seva and transforming urban water management through the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB). Selected startups will have the opportunity to demonstrate and deploy their solutions in government environments, with work orders of up to ₹25 lakh.

The ‘Government First’ initiative is designed to give startups an opportunity to develop and test solutions for real government requirements in actual government environments, with successful solutions having the potential for further deployment and procurement. Implemented under the Karnataka Startup Policy 2025–30, the initiative positions the Government as an early customer for innovative solutions while creating market opportunities for startups.Hon’ble Minister for Home, Information Technology, Biotechnology, and E-Governance, Priyank Kharge, said, “Government First is about introducing a startup-friendly procurement framework to promote innovation-driven solutions for governance and public service delivery.

Our objective is to provide pilot opportunities to startups, and with this first call, we put forth the problem statements before the startup ecosystem and invite innovators to demonstrate solutions in real-world conditions.

Through Government First, the government can become the first customer for innovative startups, creating an opportunity for Karnataka’s startup ecosystem to build solutions for real public-sector challenges.”*Solving problem statements of Governance and water Management*

The problem statements from Praja Seva focuses on technology solutions to strengthen citizen-centric governance, including:• AI-Enabled Grievance Management and Redressal• AI-Powered Unified Citizen Call Centre• AI-Enabled e-Office and Unified Officer Workflow• Ensuring Uptime and Availability of Citizen-Facing Government IT ServicesUnder the BWSSB problem statements, startups and innovators are invited to develop solutions in areas including:• AI-Driven Reduction of Non-Revenue Water (NRW)• AI-Based Treated Wastewater Reuse Planning• Intelligent Asset Management• GIS-Enabled Revenue and Operational Intelligence• Digital Twin for Integrated Water Management The call is aimed at Karnataka based startups with solutions that are sufficiently mature for real-world deployment and validation, rather than early-stage research and development.

Startups can respond to specific challenges identified by government entities and demonstrate how their technologies/ products/ solutions can address operational requirements, improve efficiency and strengthen public service delivery.Solutions selected through the process will have the opportunity to be piloted in actual government environments and assessed against defined parameters.

Solutions that demonstrate successful pilot can create opportunities for further deployment and adoption.Work Orders of Up to ₹25 LakhSelected startups under the first call can receive a work order of up to ₹25 lakh to take their solutions towards implementation.

The Government First Initiative has been formally operationalised through a Government Order issued by the Government of Karnataka in September 2026. Formulated under the Special Initiative of the Karnataka Startup Policy 2025–30, the initiative has a total outlay of ₹25 crore and aims to support around 100 startups over three years.

The programme is being implemented through the Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS).Creating Government as a Customer for StartupsA key objective of Government First initiative is to enable the Government to act as a problem owner and the customer of innovative solutions through a transparent, competitive, and outcome-based framework.

By opening up specific Government problem statements to startups, the initiative seeks to create market access for innovators while enabling Government departments to identify and adopt technologies/products/solutions that can deliver measurable public value.

Applications Open Until 23 October 2026 Startups and innovators interested in responding to the first call of the Government First initiative can apply until 5:00 PM on October 23, 2026.

Website: ttps://eitbt.karnataka.gov.in/255/government-first/enEmail: startupcell@karnataka.gov.in

The first call of the initiative creates a Government-Startup collaboration that puts framework into practice – connecting real-world challenges with innovators capable of building solutions for them.