VISTARA 2026 Sparks Innovation and Growth for Startups at Sahyadri Campus

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Mangaluru : Under the progressive Karnataka Acceleration Network (KAN) initiative, the SHINE Foundation successfully hosted ‘VISTARA 2026’, a comprehensive Open House Session and Workshop featuring distinguished industry leaders. Held on July 6th and 7th, 2026, at the Sahyadri Campus in Mangaluru, the dynamic two-day event drew over 55 startup founders, business owners, students, ecosystem enablers, and aspiring innovators. The gathering established a highly interactive environment that encouraged collective collaboration, valuable knowledge sharing, and tactical entrepreneurial advancement. Seven renowned domain specialists steered the workshops, offering pragmatic strategies harvested from their vast individual journeys in investments, corporate leadership, and enterprise development.

The event commenced with a formal inauguration attended by several notable personalities, including CS Manu Francis, Rohith Ananth, Krishna Hegde, Dr. S.S. Injaganeri, Nanjunda Pratap Palecanda, Bharath Oswal, and Johnson Tellis, which set an optimistic tone for the subsequent learning sessions. Attendees engaged in a series of masterclasses led by specialized mentors, including CS Manu Francis, who untangled startup valuation and fundraising mechanics, and Nanjunda Pratap Palecanda, who detailed the building blocks of scalable enterprises. Additionally, Bharath Oswal evaluated investor readiness along with brand positioning, S.L. Sriram simplified quality management systems (QMS) and regulatory compliance, and CA Gautham Pai D outlined robust financial frameworks for emerging enterprises. The audience was also addressed by KDEM’s KAN Program Head Mr. Suvin and Mangaluru Cluster Head Mr. Vaishak Pai, both of whom emphasized the critical need to bolster innovation clusters across Karnataka outside the traditional hub of Bengaluru.

The workshop generated several high-value outcomes for the participants, greatly enhancing their grasp of funding lifecycles, capital availability, and sustainable expansion methodologies for growth-stage businesses. Attendees gained crucial exposure to legal frameworks, marketing techniques, and immediate networking links connecting them to mentors, established institutional investors, and local ecosystem pillars. By fostering these essential connections, VISTARA 2026 successfully advanced SHINE Foundation’s underlying goal of fueling local startup growth through continuous mentorship and practical business guidance. This extensive educational initiative was backed by an array of ecosystem partners, including the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), K-Tech, Beyond Bengaluru, Startup Karnataka, DERBI Foundation, and the Sahyadri College of Engineering & Management, alongside notable expert guidance from Rohith Ananth of GHC Growth Lab and Sanjeev Chitre of The U-Group LLC.