It was a day of big moves and bold visions at KLS Gogte Institute of Technology (KLS GIT), as the institute opened its doors to two exciting initiatives aimed at shaping the future of innovation and technology in Belagavi — an advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) Lab powered by NVIDIA and a state-of-the-art startup Incubation Centre.
The dual launch was led by KLS President Shri Anant Mandgi, who unveiled KLS GRID – short for GIT’s Research, Innovation, and Development Centre. Think of GRID as a launchpad where student ideas can take flight. With room for 50 startups, this incubation centre is built to nurture entrepreneurs, offering mentorship, infrastructure, and student internship support. Eight startups are already moving in and getting to work — a clear sign that innovation is alive and kicking at KLS GIT.
But the vision doesn’t stop there. A brand new 25,000 sq. ft. incubation facility is already on the drawing board and is expected to be up and running within 18 months. What’s more, GRID will also house a dedicated office for TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) Hubli, further embedding KLS GIT into the larger entrepreneurial ecosystem of the region.
Next up: AI. Real, powerful, cutting-edge AI.
The newly launched AI Lab, featuring NVIDIA HGX H200 GPU servers, brings world-class computing power right into the hands of students and startups at KLS GIT. Whether you’re in computer science or civil engineering, this lab is designed to make artificial intelligence accessible across all branches — accelerating research, innovation, and real-world problem solving. The servers are hosted in a revamped data center, marking a serious upgrade to the institute’s technical infrastructure.
Speaking at the event, Shri Anant Mandgi emphasized KLS’s commitment to creating future-ready infrastructure and thanked the faculty for embracing change and driving the institution forward. “We’re investing not just in buildings and labs — we’re investing in the aspirations of our students and the future of this region,” he said.
Staff, students, parents, members of various organisations, CII, TiE Hubli, Belgaum Chamber of Commerce, and BETCA were present. Representatives of the eight startups being incubated at KLS GRID presented their startups. Dr. M. S. Patil, Principal, KLS GIT, and Dr. Shwetha Goudar, Dean R&D, KLS GIT spoke on behalf of the college. Mr. Gajendra Tripathi, formerly of T-HUB Hyderabad, presented a talk on Startup Ecology at KLS GIT. Members of KLS Management, Shri. Ram Bhandare, Shri. Vivek Kulkarni, Shri. Sudheendra Ganachari, Shri. R. S. Mutalik, Shri. Rajendra Belgaumkar, Mrs. Ujwala Mandgi, Shri. Ashok Kulkarni, and Shri. V. M. Deshpande were present.