Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar launches India Nano 2026, aims to make Bengaluru deep‑tech hub

Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar inaugurated the 14th India Nano 2026 conference in Bengaluru, declaring the state’s ambition to position the city as a global hub for deep‑technology. He highlighted Bengaluru’s ecosystem of premier research institutions, startups, multinational R&D centres and universities, and stressed the convergence of nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, biotechnology and quantum technologies.

The conference, themed “Nanotech’s Next Frontier: AI & Beyond”, featured Bharat Ratna Prof. C.N.R. Rao, international partners from Germany, France and the Netherlands, and awarded the Prof. C.N.R. Rao Bengaluru India Nano Science Award to Prof. B.L.V. Prasad. Shivakumar recalled the historic 1893 meeting of Jamsetji Tata and Swami Vivekananda that led to the founding of the Indian Institute of Science, underscoring Karnataka’s long‑standing scientific legacy.

He said nanotechnology is now a foundational technology transforming healthcare, electronics, energy, agriculture, mobility, aerospace, defence and advanced manufacturing, and pledged government support to accelerate the translation of research into commercial products.