The inaugural event of karṇāṭa took place on 18th February 2024 at Heritage House, Mysore, which will also serve as the organization's academic hub. The event was attended by distinguished members of the Kannada scholarly community.

The proceedings began with invocations by the esteemed Jyoti Shankar, followed by the ceremonial lighting of the lamp and the inauguration of the centre’s logo. The logo prominently features the classical Kannada alphabet śakatārepha, symbolizing our commitment to pre-modern Kannada heritage. The term śakatārepha combines śakata (the moving cart) and repha (the sound), with the two circles representing wheels, thus embodying the "moving sounds of classical Kannada". The logo's backdrop of dark soil resonates with our name, karṇāṭa, a term associated with the fertile black soil of the Deccan region. The logo has been designed by the Bangalore-based design firm Tacit, known for its focus on Indic themes.

Following the inauguration, the event featured addresses by eminent speakers, including H.V. Nagaraja Rao, a preeminent Sanskritist; Pierre Filliozat, a French scholar renowned for his studies in ancient Kannada temple architecture; and Vasundhara Filliozat, a distinguished epigraphist and authority on the Vijayanagara Empire. The founding members of the centre, R.V.S. Sundaram, Gil Ben-Herut, and Manish Maheshwari, also shared their insights. R.V.S. Sundaram outlined the centre's vision and mission, Gil Ben-Herut discussed Western academia's growing interest in Kannada literature and history, and Manish Maheshwari emphasized the importance of private philanthropy in revitalizing India's classical traditions.

This event was widely covered by the media including local Kannada dailies as well as English newspapers such as the Hindu and the Star of Mysore. This event not only marked the beginning of a new chapter in the study and appreciation of classical Kannada traditions but also set the stage for future scholarly endeavours and cultural engagements.