Media Release
Mangaluru, Feb 28: St Aloysius (Deemed to be University), successfully concluded Impetus 2026, a dynamic four-day startup fest from February 10 to 14 designed to foster the entrepreneurial spirit of UG and PG students. Organized in collaboration with the Institution’s Innovation Council (SDG Goal 9), the event focused on the theme ‘Igniting Young Minds.’
Pre-workshop
The event commenced on February 10 with a ‘Pitch Right’ pre-workshop led by Dr Shashak Shetty of the AIC NITTE Incubation Centre, meticulously planned by Dr Glenson Toney (assistant dean, School of Engineering). The session provided a roadmap for aspiring entrepreneurs, focused on ideation using Design Thinking tools and the key elements of an effective business pitch.
The grand launch & expert insights
The event officially opened with a formal inaugural ceremony on February 12. The chief guest, P B Ahmed Mudassar, president of KCCI Mangaluru, addressed the gathering and emphasized the importance of entrepreneurship, leadership, and innovation among today's youth. The ceremony was presided over by Dr Melwyn D’Cunha SJ, pro-vice chancellor, who encouraged the young innovative minds to be creative and to develop ideas that address future societal needs.
The technical sessions featured prominent industry leaders:
Dr Royal Praveen D’Souza, director of Siona Solutions and assistant dean of the School of Information Science and Technology, conducted an inspiring session titled 'Igniting Young Minds.'
He shared practical insights on how to overcome challenges on transforming ideas into reality and on building sustainable ventures.
Prashun Shetty, founder & CEO of TagSkills EdTech Pvt Ltd, shared his entrepreneurial journey of transforming a mere concept into a scalable venture.
Ashish Rai, director of Pentagram Systems, conducted a hands-on Design Thinking workshop focused on human-centric problem-solving and building resilient business models.
The competitive edge: Pitching rounds
February 13 comprised the preliminary pitching rounds. Registered teams presented their business ideas before a panel of faculty judges. The presentations were evaluated based on defined criteria. Constructive feedback was provided to the participants to strengthen their proposals.
The finale: Startup Expo & valedictory
The finale on February 14 transformed the campus into a vibrant Startup Expo, showcasing the top 10 student-led startups to an expert panellist, Dr Manesh Thomas, CEO of the Manipal-GoK Bioincubator, who also graced the valedictory ceremony as a chief guest.
A symbolic candle light pledge ceremony, led by registrar Dr Ronald Nazareth, inspired students to persist in building solutions that create lasting community impact. The participating team members were presented with candles and collectively took an entrepreneurial pledge, reaffirming their commitment to innovation, ethical practices, and entrepreneurial excellence.
The winning teams were assured seed funding support from St Aloysius (Deemed to be University). The top ideas were awarded with title trophies, certificates and the exciting awards as best pitch, best presentation, best sustainable pitch and best emerging tech award, thereby fostering a strong startup and innovation culture among the students.
The successful execution of Impetus 2026 was led by chief coordinator Savin Premi Lobo, faculty convenors Delma Lora D’Cunha and Apeksha Kottari, student coordinator Amulya W K with the support of - the management, the advisors, the organising team, staff and students of St Aloysius (Deemed to be University).