Media Release

Mangaluru, Sep 28: Team HearWell from St Joseph Engineering College (SJEC), secured the 5th place at the 17th edition of Manthan – Innovation and Business Plan Presentation 2025, organized by the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) in Bengaluru on September 16. The team was awarded a cash prize of Rs 75,000 by Dr M C Sudhakar, minister for Higher Education, Government of Karnataka, in recognition of their innovative concept.

The team comprising Deric Jojo (CSE), Evion Prem Cutinha (CSE), Hanil Akish D’Souza (CSE), and Dheeraj Othenichalil (ICBS), developed HearWell—an adaptive audio enhancement platform that transforms regular earbuds into affordable hearing aids, making hearing support more accessible to individuals with hearing loss.

The students were mentored by Glenson Toney, former assistant professor, Department of ECE, SJEC; Dr. Aldrin Claytus Vaz, assistant professor, Department of ECE, SJEC; Dr Anjali Ganesh, professor, Department of Business Administration, SJEC; and Dr H N Suma, professor & director, BIG Foundation, BMSCE, Bengaluru.

Manthan, organized annually by FKCCI, is one of Karnataka’s most prestigious platforms for student innovation and entrepreneurship. This recognition stands as a testament to SJEC’s continued commitment to nurturing innovation, research, and entrepreneurial spirit among its students.