Sahyadri College launches ACIC to support startups in Coastal Karnataka

Coastal Karnataka is getting a new platform to take local ideas from the early stages of development to commercialisation.

Sahyadri College of Engineering & Management, Mangaluru, has inaugurated the ACIC Sahyadri Foundation, an Atal Community Innovation Centre supported by the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, Government of India.

The centre aims to support grassroots innovators, entrepreneurs, students and startups across Coastal Karnataka with infrastructure, mentorship, technical expertise, networks and access to government funding pathways.

The centre was inaugurated on September 8, 2026, in the presence of Capt. Ganesh Karnik, Army Veteran and former MLC, and Deepakshi Jindal from the Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog.

From ideas to commercialisation

ACIC Sahyadri is designed as an end-to-end support system for entrepreneurs, covering stages from idea discovery and pre-incubation to incubation, product development, commercialisation, acceleration and scaling.

The centre will also focus on livelihood entrepreneurship across traditional and emerging sectors. These include fishing and allied activities, arecanut farming, small-scale manufacturing, traditional industries and high-technology ventures.

“ACIC Sahyadri is envisioned as an end-to-end entrepreneurial support system for Coastal Karnataka,” said Dinu Anand R, CEO, ACIC Sahyadri Foundation.

The centre will use Sahyadri College’s laboratories, technical infrastructure and mentorship ecosystem to connect local challenges with technology and entrepreneurship.

Its work will be organised around four areas: healthtech, deeptech agritech, rural innovation and the blue economy; climate tech, sustainability and the circular economy, and inclusive technology; and tourism, culture, heritage and the creative economy.

Focus on regional innovation

Speaking at the inauguration, Deepakshi Jindal highlighted the potential for innovation in Tier-2, Tier-3 and Tier-4 regions, particularly through local industries, tourism, crafts, and grassroots economies.

She encouraged students and aspiring entrepreneurs to use the centre to turn ideas into products, ventures, and startups, leveraging government schemes and national innovation programmes.

Capt. Ganesh Karnik also urged students to stay curious, question existing practices, and develop hands-on problem-solving skills. He emphasised the importance of identifying challenges specific to local communities and building solutions that can create social and economic impact.

Sahyadri College said the new centre builds on its existing focus on innovation, entrepreneurship, social innovation and project-based learning.

Dr. Manjappa Sarathy, Director – R&D, Sahyadri College of Engineering & Management, said the institution's innovation ecosystem is intended to help students move from classroom ideas to functional products and startups.

Dr. S.S. Injaganeri, Principal, Sahyadri College, also highlighted the role of faculty mentorship, institutional support, government schemes and grants in helping ventures develop.

With ACIC Sahyadri, the college aims to extend this support beyond its campus to entrepreneurs and communities across Coastal Karnataka.

The centre's focus will ultimately be on helping local innovators identify problems, develop solutions and build enterprises that can build livelihood opportunities in the region.