AI systems
Intelligent robotics & autonomous systems
Research and development for safe, responsive systems that can operate in complex environments.
ARIACentre of Excellence
Funded by the Government of Karnataka
Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence
CoE-AI is ARIA's first Centre of Excellence — approved and funded by the Government of Karnataka to decentralise the state's AI ecosystem through a regional hub for AI capacity building, innovation and entrepreneurship.
01 / About CoE-AI
Decentralising Karnataka's AI ecosystem.
CoE-AI's work is rooted in North Karnataka, helping learners, researchers, innovators, institutions and industry engage with artificial intelligence in ways that are responsible, relevant and deployable.
CoE-AI operates under ARIA, IIIT Raichur's Section 8 company — it is the first of what is expected to grow into several Centres of Excellence hosted by ARIA.
13 districts in focus
BagalkoteBelagaviBellaryBidarVijayapuraDharwadGadagHaveriKalaburagiKoppalRaichurVijayanagaraYadgir
02 / Focus areas
Technology in service of real challenges.
CoE-AI develops programmes and collaborations across agriculture, healthcare, education, MSME digital transformation, governance and smart infrastructure.
AI for livelihoods
Precision agriculture & field intelligence
Tools that support observation, analysis and informed decisions across agricultural contexts.
Digital infrastructure
Secure edge, IoT & connected intelligence
Robust and responsible technology foundations for the next generation of AI applications.
03 / Objective
What CoE-AI is working towards.
CoE-AI aims to establish a regional hub for AI capacity building, innovation and technology-driven entrepreneurship across North Karnataka — enabling students, innovators and early-stage entrepreneurs to move from foundational AI learning to deployable systems and startups, while helping established regional industries adopt AI to scale into new markets. The initiative aligns with the Government of Karnataka's vision to strengthen advanced technology ecosystems beyond Bengaluru and expand access to emerging technologies in Tier-2 and Tier-3 regions.
Objective area
AI Skill Development
Structured training programs in machine learning, deep learning, generative AI and AI system development.
Objective area
Infrastructure Development
An AI development laboratory at IIIT Raichur, equipped with computing and prototyping resources.
Objective area
Innovation Promotion
Hackathons, innovation challenges and project-based learning that encourage students to build AI prototypes.
Objective area
Entrepreneurship Enablement
Startup ideation and incubation pathways for students and innovators from North Karnataka.
Objective area
Ecosystem Development
Connections between regional institutions and the broader AI startup ecosystem and innovation networks.
Partnerships
Who ARIA works with.
Government Active
Government of Karnataka
Approves and funds CoE-AI, ARIA's Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence, as part of the state's initiative to decentralise its AI ecosystem across North Karnataka.
Knowledge partner Active
Software Technology Parks of India (STPI)
Extends incubation infrastructure and startup-support programmes to ARIA's regional network.
Knowledge partner Active
Centre of Excellence in Cybersecurity (CySecK)
Brings cybersecurity expertise and mentorship into ARIA's incubation and research programmes.
Funding Active
Local Economy Accelerator Program (LEAP)
The Government of Karnataka's programme for emerging technology clusters outside Bengaluru. LEAP provides funding support for ARIA and CoE-AI.
Programme Active
New Age Incubation Network (NAIN)
IIIT Raichur is the anchor institute and project management unit for NAIN 2.0 in North-East Karnataka, building innovation and startup ecosystems in Tier II and III cities with NAIN host institutes.
Academia Planned
VTU & its affiliated colleges
Collaboration with Visvesvaraya Technological University and its affiliated colleges across the region on outreach, talent development and applied research.
District ecosystem Planned
District Associations
Industry and trade associations across the districts of North Karnataka, connecting ARIA's programmes with local enterprises and MSMEs.
District administration Planned
Deputy Commissioners (DCs)
District administrations of North Karnataka, working with ARIA to take programmes and outreach to every district.
Industry To be announced
Industry partners
Specific industry partners are being identified and will be announced here.
04 / Get involved
Partner with CoE-AI.
We welcome conversations around research collaborations, training programmes, and innovation challenges across North Karnataka.