Media Release
Mangaluru, Mar 31: The two-day Nitte-MRPL Coastal Startup Fest 2026 concluded on a high note with the grand Coastal Startup Excellence Awards Ceremony held at Fiza by Nexus Mall. The festival brought together entrepreneurs, students, industry leaders, and policymakers under one roof, celebrating innovation, collaboration, and entrepreneurial spirit.
The awards ceremony was graced by UT Khader Fareed, Hon’ble Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, as the chief guest. Other distinguished guests included Dr Ashok S Alur, vice chancellor, Kodagu University; Dr S Glory Swaroopa, dean (Innovation, Entrepreneurship & External Relations), Chinmaya Vishwa Vidyapeeth; Dr K N Janardhan, managing director, SIRI; and CA S S Nayak, MSME & Startup mentor.
Hon'ble speaker U T Khader Fareed, has inspired the younger generation his during the ceremony. He told, "Few of our youth and youngsters from Mangaluru have discovered a flight without a pilot.
They have also collected the crowdfund for their prototype and this will be displayed and is presented at Kolar. So all these will inspire us and other youths of our society". He also specified, "Coastal Startup Fest 2026 is such a type of programme which helps our youth to share and present their ideas, knowledge and showcase their talent". At last he congratulated all the prize winners and participants as well as wished them bright and colourful future.
The ceremony was hosted by Dr Vijayendra Vasant, secretary of the Udupi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UCCI). The organizers extended an open invitation to students, entrepreneurs, and the public, making the event a vibrant and inclusive startup celebration.
The festival featured insightful panel discussions, including ‘Innovation Beyond Metros’ along with sessions on funding, scaling, and sustainability of startups. A major highlight was SPARK 2026, a premier student business idea competition that showcased innovative ideas through multiple rounds leading to a grand finale. The event also hosted a Coastal Startup Expo & Investor Summit, offering valuable networking and funding opportunities.
Awards – Coastal Startup Fest 2026
Social Impact Pioneer Awards
RAAKAA Initiative Private Limited - Vishweshwara Bhat, CEO
Mavedas Foods & Cereals Pvt Ltd - Anusha Acharya, Founder
Emerging Venture Awards
Singularity Automobile Private Limited - Ashith Prajwal, Founder
WWR Innovations Private Limited - Sangeetha Naik, Founder
Innovation Excellence Award
TAD Aircon Private Limited - Adrian Melroy Corneleo, CEO
People’s Choice Award
Samridh Organics - Sathwik Krishna, CEO
Coastal Karnataka Women Empowerment Award
POWER - Platform for Women Entrepreneurs
SPARK 2026 - Student Idea Competition Winners
Young entrepreneur of the year
Meloon Albert Pinto – St Joseph’s Engineering College, Mangaluru
Sai Vardhan G - St Joseph’s Engineering College, Mangaluru
Innovation Trailblazer Award
Hari Hardhik - NITK Surathkal
Samrudh M - NITK Surathkal
Execution Excellence Award
Rohan Steve Pinto - NUCSER, Mangaluru
S Abhinaya - NUCSER, Mangaluru
Siddhanth – NUCSER, Mangaluru
The festival successfully created a dynamic platform for startups to showcase their ideas, connect with mentors, and explore collaborations, reinforcing the vision of positioning the Mangaluru-Udupi region as a leading Tier-2 innovation hub.