Samsung India launched Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) 2026 in Karnataka on September 17, 2026, offering free industry-relevant AI training to 2,000 young people in the state. Held in partnership with Nrupathunga University, Bengaluru, and inaugurated at the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Industry and Commerce with the state’s higher education minister Basavaraj Rayareddy as chief guest, the programme targets youth aged 18 to 25 with no course fee attached. For students and young job seekers who want a recognised AI credential without paying for a bootcamp, this is one of the largest free corporate-backed AI skilling drives running in the state right now.
Key Facts Box
- Samsung launched SIC 2026 in Karnataka on September 17, 2026, in partnership with Nrupathunga University, Bengaluru.
- The programme targets youth aged 18–25 and will train 2,000 participants in Karnataka this year.
- It is delivered in collaboration with the Electronics Sector Skills Council of India (ESSCI) and the Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC).
- Training covers industry-relevant AI and Generative AI education through structured learning, hands-on projects and expert mentorship.
- This is the fourth year of Samsung Innovation Campus in India, and Karnataka alone has trained over 3,000 people through the programme to date.
- Nationally, SIC 2026 aims to train 20,000 youth across 10 states; in 2025, more than 20,000 participants were trained across India, with women making up 48% of participants.
- The programme is free for selected participants and is one strand of Samsung’s broader India CSR push, alongside Samsung Solve for Tomorrow and Samsung DOST.
What Is Samsung Innovation Campus
Samsung Innovation Campus is Samsung’s global education and skilling programme that trains young people in skills tied to emerging technology careers. In India, it is now in its fourth year, and the 2026 edition has shifted its full focus onto artificial intelligence and Generative AI, reflecting how fast hiring demand in that field has moved over the past two years.
The Karnataka launch is part of a larger national rollout. Samsung has committed to training 20,000 youth across 10 states through SIC 2026, with Karnataka’s 2,000-seat programme forming one part of that total. The state chapter runs through a partnership with Nrupathunga University in Bengaluru, and is implemented on the ground with two sector skill councils: ESSCI and TSSC.
Why Karnataka
Karnataka’s Higher Education Minister Basavaraj Rayareddy attended the launch as chief guest, framing the programme as support for the state’s push to build what he called an “AI-native ecosystem.” Bengaluru’s existing base of IT and electronics employers gives graduates of the programme a relatively short path from training to job interviews, compared to students in states with a thinner tech employer base.
Who Can Apply and What They Get
SIC 2026 in Karnataka is aimed squarely at youth aged 18 to 25 — a band that covers final-year undergraduates, recent graduates, and young people who are not currently enrolled in a degree programme but want a technical credential. Participants get industry-relevant AI education, hands-on training, mentoring from industry experts, and practical projects meant to build a portfolio they can show employers.
The training is structured around three components: classroom-style learning of AI and Generative AI concepts, applied project work where participants solve practical problems, and mentorship from people working in the field. This combination is designed to leave participants with both a certificate and a demonstrable project, which matters more to employers than a certificate alone in a field moving as fast as applied AI.
No Cost to Participants
Unlike most private AI bootcamps, which typically charge anywhere from a few thousand to well over a lakh of rupees, Samsung Innovation Campus does not charge participants. It is funded as part of Samsung’s corporate social responsibility programme in India, under the company’s “Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People” citizenship vision, with Smart Education and Skilling Youth as one of its two focus areas.
Track Record: Why the Numbers Matter
Samsung’s own figures give a sense of scale and credibility. In 2025, SIC trained more than 20,000 participants across India, with women making up 48% of that group — a notably balanced ratio for a technical skilling programme in India, where women’s enrolment in engineering and core-tech courses typically runs lower. In Karnataka specifically, the programme has already trained over 3,000 people across its earlier editions before this year’s 2,000-seat cohort even begins.
That track record matters for a student deciding whether a free, corporate-run programme is worth their time over a paid alternative. A programme running its fourth consecutive year in India, backed by two established sector skill councils, is a different proposition from a one-off pilot.
How This Fits the Wider AI Skilling Push
The Karnataka launch lands in the middle of a broader wave of AI skilling announcements across India this year, from government-backed programmes to corporate CSR initiatives from companies like AWS, Intel and now Samsung. What sets SIC apart is its narrow age band (18–25) and its zero-cost structure, which puts it within reach of students who cannot afford paid bootcamps or online certification tracks that often run into tens of thousands of rupees.
For commerce, arts or even non-technical students who assume AI training is only for computer science engineers, a structured, free, mentor-backed programme like this lowers the barrier meaningfully — provided they can secure one of the limited 2,000 seats.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is Samsung Innovation Campus 2026 in Karnataka?
Ans. It is a free AI skilling programme launched by Samsung India on September 17, 2026, in partnership with Nrupathunga University, Bengaluru, aimed at training 2,000 youth aged 18–25 in industry-relevant AI and Generative AI skills.
Q. Who is eligible to apply?
Ans. The programme targets youth aged 18 to 25 in Karnataka. Specific application steps and eligibility documentation have not been detailed in the launch announcement; interested candidates should watch Samsung India and Nrupathunga University channels for enrolment details.
Q. Is there a fee to join Samsung Innovation Campus?
Ans. No. The programme is free for selected participants, funded through Samsung India’s corporate social responsibility initiative.
Q. What will participants learn?
Ans. Participants receive structured AI and Generative AI education, hands-on project work, and mentorship from industry experts, aimed at building both technical skills and a project portfolio.
Q. How big is the Samsung Innovation Campus programme nationally?
Ans. SIC 2026 aims to train 20,000 youth across 10 states in India. In 2025, the programme trained more than 20,000 participants nationally, with women making up 48% of participants.
Next Steps for Interested Students
Eligible students in Karnataka should follow Samsung India’s newsroom and Nrupathunga University’s official channels for the application window, selection process and any documentation needed to enrol in this year’s 2,000-seat cohort. Since Samsung has run this programme for four consecutive years in India, similar cohorts are likely to open in other states under the 10-state, 20,000-youth target — worth checking back on for updates if this round’s seats fill up before you can apply.