Bengaluru Ranks No. 2 in Asia for AI Innovation

Bengaluru has secured the second spot in Asia for AI innovation and entered the global top 10 for performance and R&D, the Karnataka government said, according to the Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) 2026.

Ranking 15th globally in the Startup Ecosystem Index, Bengaluru continues to cement its position as India's leading startup hub and has a USD 152.8 billion ecosystem value. 

The Karnataka government and Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), in partnership with Startup Genome, has announced key



findings from the report unveiled at VivaTech Paris.

"The finding underscores Bengaluru-Karnataka's growing influence in the global AI landscape. Ranked Asia's #2 AI-native startup ecosystem the region continues to build on its strengths in talent, research, entrepreneurship, and venture capital," an official release from Karnataka IT and BT department said. 

The ecosystem also recorded stronger-than-average growth in early-stage AI funding, reinforcing Karnataka's role in shaping India's AI future, it said.