Pics: Nayana JC
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (NJC)
Mangaluru, Feb 7: The formal launch of Coastal Start-up Fest 2026 was held on Saturday at Hotel Ocean Pearl, marking the beginning of a major initiative to position the Mangaluru–Udupi corridor as a leading tier-2 innovation hub in the country. The flagship event is jointly organised by AIC Nitte Incubation Centre, K-Tech Innovation Hub and the NITTE-GOK Centre of Excellence in Aquamarine Innovation, in partnership with Fiza by Nexus Mall and with strategic support from KDEM.
The two-day festival will be held on March 28 and 29 at Fiza by Nexus Mall, Mangaluru. It will feature the Spark 2026 student business idea challenge, Coastal Start-up Expo and Investor Summit, Start-up Excellence Awards, an Industry–Academia Roundtable, and structured investor networking sessions targeting over 50 interactions. The organisers expect more than 60,000 visitors during the expo.
Addressing the gathering, Ameet Ganu S, GM – corporate strategy, MRPL, urged young innovators to focus on emerging energy technologies such as renewable energy, carbon capture systems and green hydrogen. He said these sectors align with India’s energy security goals, as conventional oil resources are becoming scarce and costly. He called for disruptive and cost-effective technologies developed within India to strengthen the nation’s self-reliance in energy.
Manjunath Singai, general manager, Canara Bank, Mangaluru, emphasised the role of small enterprises in economic growth. Citing global examples, he said economies thrive when numerous small units work towards a common goal. He encouraged entrepreneurs to embrace the Make in India and Start-up India vision and assured full support from Canara Bank in terms of funding and guidance to new ventures.
Other dignitaries present included Divakar Kochikar Pai (vice president, KCCI), CA S S Nayak (MSME and start-up mentor), Athmika Amin (CII Industry–Academia Panel Convenor), Dr Vijayendra Vasanth (UCCI secretary) and Prashun Shetty (founder and CEO, TagSkills EdTech Pvt Ltd).
The organisers invited start-up founders, investors, academic institutions, industry bodies and government representatives to participate in the festival, which aims to build a strong collaborative ecosystem for innovation in coastal Karnataka.