Karnataka has launched KEO, an AI-ready personal computer designed and developed within the state to bridge the digital access gap. Unveiled by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at the Bengaluru Tech Summit, KEO aims to expand access to computing for students, households, and public institutions.
KEO, which stands for Knowledge-driven, Economical, Open-source, is intended to make intelligent computing accessible at the grassroots level, empowering citizens across Karnataka. According to officials, KEO is designed and developed entirely within the state. Minister for Electronics, IT and BT, Priyank Kharge, has called KEO Karnataka's "practical answer to the digital divide by making mass computing affordable and accessible". Kharge also stated that KEO is not a luxury device but an inclusion device that breaks the cost and technology barrier.
The state government decided to develop KEO to address the low percentage of Indian households that own computers. Fewer than 10% of Indian households own a computer, and in Karnataka, the figure is just 15%. The absence of computing devices limits students' participation in digital learning, contributing to higher dropout rates. KEO is positioned as an inclusion-focused device intended to support education, skilling, and digital livelihoods.
KEO is built on an open-source RISC-V processor and operates on a Linux-based system. It includes 4G, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, USB-A and USB-C ports, HDMI output, and audio support. A key feature is its on-device AI core, allowing local processing without internet access. The device comes preloaded with BUDDH, an AI tool based on the Karnataka DSERT syllabus to assist students in low-connectivity areas. The AI agent BUDDH can answer queries in real-time related to the syllabus, and even beyond it. Currently, BUDDH is trained in English, with plans to include Kannada in the future. The device uses a 64-bit quad-core RISC-V processor with a Linux-based OS and an on-device AI core delivering around 4–5 TOPS.
KEO supports tasks ranging from online learning and programming to basic machine control and visual computing. It is suitable for education through the PU level and for government offices, health centers, and police stations where routine documentation and web-based tasks are required.
KEONICS will manage distribution, with initial pre-orders already placed for school deployments. The state expects demand to scale across panchayats. Those interested can pre-book the device from keonext.in, with delivery expected in two months. Already, an organization has booked 500 devices for use in primary and high schools. KEO will be deployed across schools, universities, small businesses, government offices, and homes. The device is being showcased to the public throughout the Bengaluru Tech Summit, allowing students, startups, industry leaders, and visitors to experience the device and understand its role in enabling mass-affordable, AI-ready computing across the state.
Priyank Kharge stated that through KEO, Karnataka aims to accelerate the future of Indian IT. Sharath Bache Gowda, Chairman of KEONICS, added that using an open-source RISC-V stack reinforces the state's commitment to building adaptable, locally relevant computing solutions.
