Bengaluru, Jul 29 (PTI) Visvesvaraya Technological University in partnership with the state’s rural development department, RDPR University, and Head Held High Foundation has rolled out rural area focussed program for engineering students–the Jan AI VTU Rural Innovation Internship, KDEM said on Wednesday
The program supported by the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) along with leading industry and CSR partners is open for over 60,000 eligible students from VTU-affiliated, non-Bengaluru colleges.
“Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), in partnership with the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Department, RDPR University, and Head Held High Foundation…launched the Jan AI VTU Rural Innovation Internship — Karnataka’s largest rural immersion program for engineering students,” KDEM said in a statement.
More than 10,000 selected students will participate in a structured, six-month, field-based internship, embedded across over 300 Taluks, the statement said.
“During the internship, each student will follow a comprehensive innovation framework that involves assessing grassroots contexts, identifying challenges, reviewing existing solutions, co-creating innovations, and integrating technologies such as AI, IoT, and mobile apps to deliver functional prototypes—all aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” the statement said.
Under the program students will receive exclusive access to capacity-building workshops, mentorship, certification, and performance based recognition.
“The VTU Internship Program is a powerful step towards democratising innovation. By immersing students in real rural challenges, we are nurturing a generation of engineers who understand the pulse of our villages and can design solutions that truly matter for Karnataka’s development journey,” Karnataka Skill Development Authority, Chairman, Dr E V Ramana Reddy said.
Working in rural clusters, these teams will conduct real-time research, build prototypes, and co- develop scalable, AI-driven tech-for-good solutions across 30 villages per Taluk. Using a structured 5-step innovation framework, their projects will focus on 10 core sectors aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” the statement said.
Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) will be a strategic facilitator for the program. It will bring industry linkages, digital innovation networks, and state-level program amplification.
“By enabling over 10,000 students to co-create solutions with rural communities, we are not just building better technologists, we are building empathetic problem-solvers who can power inclusive growth for India’s future. Through this we are strengthening the journey of Democratisation of Entrepreneurship,” KDEM , CEO , Dr Sanjeev Kumar Gupta said.
TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) under the program will provide mentor and startup catalyst, guiding students in social entrepreneurship and tech-enabled prototype building. The Head Held High Foundation is lead implementation partner for the program and will ensure student-community engagement and rural outreach.
10-15 Sector-Specific NGOs and Corporate CSR Mentors under program will providing technical, sectoral, and impact- focused guidance across all SDG domains.
RDPR Department and University will be anchors for rural access and field support.
“The introduction of the six-month Rural Internship Program is a significant step toward bridging the gap between technological education and grassroots development. This initiative will empower our engineering students to apply classroom knowledge to real- world rural challenges, foster innovation, and contribute meaningfully to sustainable community development,” VTU Belagavi, Vice Chancellor, Prof Vidyashankar S said.
“We are delighted to be a part of this path-breaking initiative – perhaps for the first time at this scale in the country, that attempts to connect multiple dots of creating immersive learning experiences for our students across villages, bringing in mentors from the Corporate and NGO/CSR world to help these students navigate their journeys and to engage with Governments to spotlight innovative solutions that can be implemented at scale,” TIE Bangalore, President, Madan Padaki said.
