Karnataka Launches Global Innovation Hub at Airport City

20 Jun 2025 CW Team

The Government of Karnataka, in collaboration with Bengaluru Airport City Limited (BACL) and ANSR, has launched a global innovation hub named District I at Bengaluru Airport City's business park. The initiative aims to elevate India’s innovation ecosystem to a global scale by fostering collaboration among startups, academia, enterprises, and government bodies.

District I will serve as a platform for deep-tech entrepreneurship, enterprise innovation, and commercialisation of academic research. It brings together Global Capability Centres (GCCs), IT firms, corporate labs, startups, venture capitalists, and public institutions to promote co-innovation. Focus areas include AI, blockchain, quantum computing, aerospace, defence, smart cities, and financial services.

The hub is part of the 28 million square foot business park at Bengaluru Airport City, a mixed-use development integrating R&D hubs, education and health districts, hospitality, and entertainment. Facilities include a central kitchen, 3D printing unit, a planned airport-based concert arena, and convention centre. The city will host around 5,200 hotel rooms, including properties by Taj, Vivanta, and Ginger.

Designed as a renewable-energy-powered smart city, Bengaluru Airport City has received an IGBC Green Cities Platinum rating and follows sustainable practices aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including water harvesting and green infrastructure.

Ekroop Caur, Secretary at the Department of Electronics, IT, BT and S&T, stated that the initiative would make Bengaluru a global innovation capital, while BACL CEO Rao Munukutla said District I is a launchpad for innovators and part of a broader goal to shift India from job seekers to job creators. Lalit Ahuja, CEO of ANSR, added that the hub will redraw the global innovation map, unifying the city’s strengths on a single collaborative platform.

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