Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), Bangalore is one of Karnataka's most prestigious and longest-established private medical institutions, founded in 1980 by the Vokkaligara Sangha — the apex body of the Vokkaliga community — and named after Kempegowda I, the illustrious 16th-century chieftain who founded Bengaluru city. The Vokkaligara Sangha took a formal decision on 2 September 1979 to establish a medical college, and on 30 November 1980, Hon'ble Chief Minister Shri R. Gundu Rao laid the foundation stone of KIMS. Classes commenced on 16 March 1981 — a date observed annually as 'KIMS Day'. KIMS was permanently recognized by the NMC for MBBS from 1980-81 and for PG courses from 1991-92. The college is affiliated with RGUHS, Bengaluru and is internationally recognized by the GMC (UK), WHO, and RCOG London (one of the very few Indian colleges with RCOG recognition). KIMS is ranked #1 among private medical colleges in Karnataka affiliated to RGUHS by CareerEdwise, with an Open Management Ranking of #3 and Karnataka State Ranking of #7 (MBBSCouncil 2024). It is ranked 32nd by India Today, 46th by IIRF, 25th by The Week. The college is a Vokkaliga Linguistic Minority Educational Institution — 50% of management quota seats are reserved for Vokkaliga community (Karnataka Linguistic Minority) students. KIMS operates across two campuses: Pre-Clinical and Para-Clinical departments at a 14-acre campus in Banashankari 2nd Stage; Clinical departments and KIMS Hospital at K.R. Road, V.V. Puram — 4 km apart, connected by 5 college buses (1 minibus + 2 vans + additional transport). KIMS Hospital, established in 1990, is a 1,070–1,100-bed multi-specialty hospital providing patient care at highly subsidized rates comparable to government hospitals — significantly lower than any other private hospital in Karnataka. Daily patient inflow exceeds 800–1,000 OPD patients. The college has 199+ faculty members, 250 MBBS seats (expanded from 150 as of 2025), 111 PG (MD/MS) seats, and an annual student body including 1,400+ MBBS and PG students. Notable features include the grand Silver Jubilee Building at Banashankari campus (built to commemorate the Vokkaligara Sangha centenary and KIMS Silver Jubilee 2006), an ICMR-recognized Central Research Laboratory, active intracollegiate sports festivals (KPL cricket, KVL volleyball, Dinamani Cup football), annual cultural fest Atharva, and the prestigious intercollegiate quiz competition Uttunga.