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Priyank Kharge

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Priyank Kharge
Priyank Kharge in 2017
Cabinet Minister
Government of Karnataka
Incumbent
Assumed office
03 June 2026
Chief ministerD. K. Shivakumar
Portfolios
Cabinet Minister, Government of Karnataka
In office
20 May 2023 – 29 May 2026
GovernorThawarchand Gehlot
CabinetSiddaramaiah II
Chief MinisterSiddaramaiah
Portfolio(s)
In office
8 June 2018 – 23 July 2019
GovernorVajubhai Vala
CabinetKumaraswamy II
Chief MinisterH. D. Kumaraswamy
MinistrySocial Welfare
Preceded byH. Anjaneya
Succeeded byGovind Karjol
Member of Karnataka Legislative Assembly
Incumbent
Assumed office
2013
Preceded byValmiki Nayak
ConstituencyChittapur
Minister of State of IT & BT and Science & Technology
Government of Karnataka
In office
2016–2018
Personal details
Born (1978-11-22) 22 November 1978 (age 47)[1]
Bangalore, Karnataka
PartyIndian National Congress
SpouseShruthi P. Kharge
Parent(s)Mallikarjun Kharge (father)
Radhabai Kharge (mother)
OccupationPolitician

Priyank Mallikarjun Kharge (born 22 November 1978) is an Indian politician belonging to the Indian National Congress (INC) and a 3rd time Minister in the Government of Karnataka. He is serving as Minister for Home Affairs, Information Technology, Biotechnology, and E-Governance since June 2026.[2] He is a three-time Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Chittapur constituency in Kalaburagi district.

He is the son of Mallikarjun Kharge, the national president of the Indian National Congress and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.

Priyank Kharge has emerged as an unusually assertive, ideologically distinct minister in India's political landscape. Mr. Priyank has directly challenged the RSS's legal registration, funding, and permit procedures,[3] a stance some within Congress link to Rahul Gandhi's broader national positioning.[4]

Political career

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Student and Youth Politics (1998–2014)

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  • 1998: Entered politics as an activist of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI).
  • 1999: Elected NSUI College General Secretary; formally joined the Indian National Congress.
  • 2001–2005: Served as NSUI State General Secretary.
  • 2005–2007: Secretary, Karnataka Pradesh Youth Congress.
  • 2007–2011: General Secretary, Karnataka Pradesh Youth Congress.
  • 2009: Contested the Chittapur assembly by-election and lost to Valmiki Nayak of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).[5]
  • 2011–2014: Vice-President, Karnataka Pradesh Youth Congress.

First Term as MLA and Minister of IT/BT and Tourism (2013–2018)

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Priyank Kharge was elected to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from Chittapur for the first time in 2013.[6] In June 2016, at age 38, he was sworn in as a minister in Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's cabinet, holding the Information Technology, Biotechnology and Tourism portfolio (2016–18) — making him one of the youngest ministers in the state at the time. During this term he introduced the Startup Booster Kit and launched the Bengaluru Tech Summit in 2017. Bengaluru Tech Summit is now Asia's largest technology event, and he continues to lead it as the state's IT/BT minister. Its 28th edition (November 18–20, 2025) was themed "Futurise," drawing over 60 countries, 15,000+ delegates, 500+ speakers, and 1,000+ exhibitors across 10 tracks spanning AI, deep tech, semiconductors, biotech, fintech, defence, and spacetech.[7] He introduced a new flagship component this year, the Future Makers Conclave, aimed at connecting roughly 10,000–20,000 founders, investors, and innovators with capital, mentorship, and business opportunities.[8] He used the summit stage to reaffirm Karnataka's position as India's top GCC (Global Capability Centre) destination — citing 875+ GCCs, a 1.2 million-strong tech workforce, and 18,000+ startups in the state — and to launch the GCC Policy 2025.[9]

Second Term as MLA and Minister in Coalition Government (2018–2023)

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Priyank Kharge won re-election from Chittapur in 2018.[10] In the Congress–JD(S) coalition government led by H. D. Kumaraswamy, he served as Cabinet Minister for Social Welfare. As Social Welfare minister he launched a series of first-of-their-kind schemes to economically empower SC/ST communities, including Airavata (grants for taxi partnerships),[11] Prabuddha (funding for foreign postgrad/PhD education),[12] and Samruddhi and Unnati (seed capital for retail franchisees and tech startups).[13][14]

Third Term MLA and Minister of IT/BT, Rural Development (2023–2026)

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Priyank Kharge won a third term from Chittapur in 2023.[15][16] Following the Congress victory in the state, he was given the Information Technology and Biotechnology portfolio along with Rural Development and Panchayat Raj.

On the IT/BT side, Priyank Kharge's tenure saw major manufacturing investment announcements in Karnataka. In August 2023, Kaynes Technology signed an MoU with the state government for a ₹3,750 crore outsourced semiconductor assembly, testing and PCB manufacturing facility at Kochanahalli, near Mysuru, expected to create around 3,200 jobs.[17] Separately, Foxconn's iPhone assembly facility in Devanahalli, representing an investment of around ₹20,000 crore, had created approximately 30,000 jobs within eight months of commencing operations as of December 2025, with the state government targeting a workforce of 50,000 by 2026; the plant accounts for more than 80% of iPhones assembled in India for export.[18] Foxconn separately signed a Letter of Intent in 2023 for two additional projects worth around ₹5,000 crore covering phone-enclosure manufacturing and semiconductor equipment manufacturing, projected to create about 13,000 jobs.[19] His IT/BT tenure also included the GCC Policy 2025 and the "Deep Tech Decade" fund, and Bengaluru rose to 14th globally in startup ecosystem rankings during this period.

According to figures published by the Karnataka RDPR department, the state was ranked first nationally for panchayat decentralization under his tenure, with over 5,700 village libraries digitized, gram panchayat tax collection hitting a record ₹1,273 crore, and major road and water schemes ("Pragati Patha," "Kalyana Patha," Jal Jeevan Mission) connecting nearly 86 lakh rural households.[a][20] He also expanded citizen-service delivery through Bapuji Seva Kendras and the Panchamitra grievance portal, built thousands of NREGA-linked childcare centres, and raised the NREGA daily wage to ₹370.

Home Minister Under D. K. Shivakumar (2026–present)

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Following Siddaramaiah's resignation as Chief Minister in May 2026, Priyank Kharge was widely reported as the front-runner for the Home Minister post in the incoming cabinet led by D. K. Shivakumar. He was sworn in as a cabinet minister on 3 June 2026 and, two days later, was allocated the Home portfolio (excluding Intelligence), while retaining Information Technology, Biotechnology and E-Governance.[21]

Since taking over Home Affairs, reported priorities have included modernising police digital infrastructure (including the 1930 Cyber Helpline and the Namma 112 emergency response system), and coordinating a state anti-narcotics framework combining enforcement, forensics and rehabilitation.[citation needed]

Electoral Performance

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YearConstituencyResult
2009 (by-election)ChittapurLost to Valmiki Nayak (BJP)
2013ChittapurWon
2018ChittapurWon
2023ChittapurWon

Social media

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Priyank Kharge maintains an active presence on social media, where he regularly comments on policy matters and political developments. His verified accounts include X (formerly Twitter)[22] and Facebook.

Personal life

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Priyank Kharge is married to Shruti Kharge. He identifies as a follower of B. R. Ambedkar and a Buddhist.[23]

References

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  1. ↑ "Priyank Kharge: Age, Biography, Education, Wife, Caste, Net Worth & More - Oneindia".
  2. ↑ "Council of Ministers". Karnataka Legislative Assembly. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  3. ↑ "Karnataka govt. asks RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat to send representatives to explain legal status on registration of organisation". The Hindu. 16 June 2026. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  4. ↑ Prabhu, Nagesh (16 June 2026). "Priyank Kharge's salvo against RSS seen as a move to consolidate support base, counter criticism against Karnataka govt". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  5. ↑ "Priyank Kharge – Bye-election 18-08-2009 Affidavit". MyNeta/Association for Democratic Reforms. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  6. ↑ "Statistical Report – Karnataka Assembly Election 2013". Election Commission of India. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  7. ↑ "Bengaluru Tech Summit 2025 set to open at BIEC with record global participation". IBTimes India. 17 November 2025. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  8. ↑ "Bengaluru Tech Summit 2025 To Spotlight India's Deeptech, AI, And Startup Power". Inc42. 13 November 2025. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  9. ↑ "Bengaluru Tech Summit 2025 to be held in November, Minister Priyank Kharge announces". The News Minute. 11 August 2025. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  10. ↑ "Statistical Report – Karnataka Assembly Election 2018". Election Commission of India. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  11. ↑ "Govt launches Airavata scheme for SC/ST youths". Deccan Herald. 29 September 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  12. ↑ "Govt of Karnataka launches 'Prabuddha' – a new scheme for international study". CityToday. 7 December 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  13. ↑ "Entrepreneurship scheme Samruddhi launched". The Hindu. 31 October 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  14. ↑ "Rs. 20 crore to 100 startups under 'Elevate Karnataka'". Star of Mysore. 20 November 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  15. ↑ "Statistical Report – Karnataka Assembly Election 2023". Election Commission of India. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  16. ↑ "Congress president's son Priyank Kharge wins from Chittapur for third time in row". Deccan Herald. 13 May 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  17. ↑ "Rs. 3,750 cr. semiconductor facility to come up in Mysuru". Star of Mysore. 25 August 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  18. ↑ "Karnataka asks Foxconn to scale up iPhone plant workforce". United News of India. 23 December 2025. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  19. ↑ "Foxconn to invest Rs 5K crore in Karnataka to set up 2 factories for component manufacturing". Siasat. 2 August 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  20. ↑ "Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department, Government of Karnataka". Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  21. ↑ "Council of Ministers". Karnataka Legislative Assembly. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  22. ↑ "Priyank Kharge (@PriyankKharge)". X. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  23. ↑ Dev, Arun (19 June 2026). "'Follower of Ambedkar; afraid of none': Priyank hits back at BJP MP Jigajinagi". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 9 August 2026.

Notes

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  1. ↑ RDPR figures are sourced to the Karnataka RDPR department's own published work reports, not independent journalism.
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