Media Release
Mangaluru, Jan 13: Under the guidance of the office of the principial scientific advisor to government of India, ALLCARGO EMERGE 2026, the country’s only startup beach festival, concluded its third edition at Tannirbhavi Beach on Jan 11th. Mangaluru emerged as India’s most unconventional innovation hotspot as the three-day Startup festival showcased how Tier-2 regions can host world-class industry–startup collaboration at scale. The festival saw high-energy participation from startups, investors, ecosystem enablers, government representatives and the public, reaffirming the region’s growing prominence as an emerging startup and innovation hub.
EMERGE 2026 was held under the title sponsorship of Allcargo Logistics and was hosted as part of the Mangaluru Beach Festival (Jan 9–11), a large-scale public celebration featuring national-level sporting events including the Mangaluru Triathlon, sea swimming championships, cycling races, beach wrestling, and cultural performances—creating a rare convergence of startups, sport, culture and community.
EMERGE forms a core implementation platform for UTTHAN, a national initiative of the Office of the principal scientific adviser focused on strengthening innovation ecosystems in Tier-2 and Tier-3 regions. The festival was executed by Section Infin8 Foundation along with ecosystem partners, translating policy intent into on-ground action.
Prof Ajay Kumar Sood, principal scientific advisor to the Government of India, remarked “Startup beach festivals like EMERGE are highly relevant in bringing together innovators, industry leaders, investors, and policymakers in an open and engaging environment.” He highlighted that such formats help break silos, encourage informal yet meaningful interactions and accelerate collaboration and trust-building key elements for translating innovation into scalable, real-world impact beyond metropolitan centres.
The festival hosted several marquee events that drew national attention. A major highlight was the finale of the CREDAI–Mangaluru BuildSmart Innovation Challenge, a nationwide industry-led initiative launched by Section Infin8 Foundation & Nexus Core in collaboration with CREDAI Mangaluru, addressing real-world challenges in real estate and construction. From 34 teams enrolled, selected 16 teams were mentored for over two months, seven finalists pitched at EMERGE 2026. All finalist teams will receive direct industry support from CREDAI members to pilot and commercialize their solutions—an uncommon level of post event commitment.
The Emerge Silicon Beach Shark Tank, curated by XElevate Ventures at the WrkWrk Triangle, attracted over 120 startup applications nationwide, with 13 startups pitching to investors from Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Gurugram. Multiple startups received strong investor interest, with several advancing to active due-diligence and follow-up discussions. While presenting the prize cheques, Suhas Prabhu, founder of XElevate Ventures, expressed confidence that the region has the potential to produce multiple unicorns in the coming years.
EMERGE 2026 also marked a milestone for UTTHAN, a flagship mission of office of principal scientific advisor (O/o PSA) to Government of India, as the mission completed one year since its formal announcement at EMERGE 2025 cementing the festival’s role as a launchpad for national innovation initiatives. To commemorate the occasion, Dr Sapna Poti, director, Strategic Alliances Division, O/o PSA, graced the event. She emphasized the importance of platforms like EMERGE in nurturing innovation in Tier-2 and Tier-3 regions, noting that regions such as Mangaluru rich in talent and resources must actively embrace entrepreneurship to build world-class solutions.
Dr Poti also announced that Karnataka’s first RuTAGe Smart Village Centres (RSVC) will soon be launched from the Dakshina Kannada region, with centres planned in both Udupi and Mangaluru districts. These initiatives will be rolled out under programs such as Manthan, RSVC and UTTHAN, further strengthening grassroots innovation and rural technology deployment.
Aravind Kumar, CEO of Section Infin8 Foundation, noted, “EMERGE 2026 demonstrated how innovation ecosystems can thrive outside metros by blending nature, culture, industry and entrepreneurship. As we move toward EMERGE 2027, the focus will be on deeper industry pilots, rural innovation deployment and stronger global linkages.”