KEO to take AI computing to every government school in Karnataka: Shivakumar

KEO to take AI computing to every administration school in Karnataka: Shivakumar Published – August 22, 2026 01: 03 am IST – Bengaluru.

Key points

• Gowda informed The Hindu that KEONICS was releasing 2, 222 units of the KEO to start with.
• Unveiling the KEO, priced at ₹18, 999, Chief Minister D.K.
• According to Home Minister Priyank Kharge, solving the challenge of computing at the grassroot level is something no other State has done it.
• He additionally invoked former Chief Minister Devaraj Urs who was instrumental in establishing KEONICS.
• Shivakumar launching KEO, the country's first home-made AI personal computer developed through KEONICS, in Bengaluru on Friday.

Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar launching KEO, the country's first home-made AI personal computer developed through KEONICS, in Bengaluru on Friday. Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

In practice, the State administration on Friday rolled out the country's first home-made AI personal computer, KEO (knowledge, economic and opensource) aimed at students, administration schools and the common individuals who cannot afford expensive AI computing.

Unveiling the KEO, priced at ₹18, 999, Chief Minister D.K. According to Shivakumar, this innovative, affordable device that offers AI computing to the masses would democratise access to artificial intelligence and hence would greatly boost learning, farming and enterprising.

"The KEO will offer every administration school student, teacher in the State an opportunity to learn and build with emerging technologies. It will additionally assist farmers and entrepreneurs, " he noted, adding that the KEO was a typical example of government-driven technology transformation for the masses.

According to the Chief Minister, the KEO represents the evolution of KEONICS from supporting technology projects to developing solutions aimed at creating wider social impact. "Your child's ZIP code should never determine his or her access to technology and opportunity, " he stated.

According to Home Minister Priyank Kharge, solving the challenge of computing at the grassroot level is something no other State has done it. This is truly India's first affordable AI-PC create in Karnataka for our residents while all others are welcome to purchase and apply it, '' stated Mr. Kharge.

For context, the KEO is developed through a collaboration between the Department of Electronics, IT and Biotechnology, State-owned KEONICS, semiconductor partners, AI-focused system integrators, and brings together an open-source RISC-V processor architecture, open-source hardware and software and on-device artificial intelligence in a compact desktop platform.

Sharath Kumar Bache Gowda, Chairman of KEONICS, remarked, "Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi heralded the tech revolution in the country and KEONICS would like to dedicate the KEO to his memory. He additionally invoked former Chief Minister Devaraj Urs who was instrumental in establishing KEONICS. Today, we are additionally building a portfolio by launching the KEO Lite and KEO Pro, " he stated.

Mr. Gowda informed The Hindu that KEONICS was releasing 2, 222 units of the KEO to start with. These devices would go throughout 239 taluks. Two Arivu Kendras and two administration libraries in each of these taluks will secure four devices each. Additionally, select administration schools in 31 districts will obtain 10 devices each. These 2, 222 devices are by industry leaders Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Kris Gopalakrishnan and Prashanth Prakash through a contribution of ₹1 crore each. Along with these, KEONICS is at present preparing a second batch of 3, 000 units.

Taken together, the developments around KEO to take AI computing to every government school in Karnataka: Shivakumar point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.