An innovation centre built for the coast, not imported to it.
Established under the Atal Community Innovation Centre programme, hosted at Sahyadri College of Engineering & Management, Mangaluru.
Our story
ACIC Sahyadri Foundation was established as an Atal Community Innovation Centre under the Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, Government of India. Hosted at Sahyadri College of Engineering & Management, Adyar, Mangaluru, the centre is operated by SHINE Foundation (Sahyadri Hub for Innovations and Entrepreneurship) — a Section 8 company dedicated to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in coastal Karnataka. The institution currently houses 22 companies including 3 MSMEs and 19 startups, with INR 2.3 crore in seed funding earmarked for regional innovation. Through initiatives like the Community Innovator Fellowship, Karnataka Acceleration Network, and the Mphasis AI & Robotics Lab, ACIC Sahyadri pairs government mandate with an institution already deeply rooted in the region.
Vision
A coastal Karnataka where every innovator — regardless of degree, capital or address — has a real path from idea to impact.
Mission
To provide grassroots innovators, students and early-stage founders across coastal Karnataka with the infrastructure, mentoring and funding pathways to turn ideas into ventures that serve the region first.
“Credibility comes from evidence, not adjectives — every claim on this site should be one you could ask us to prove.”
Why coastal Karnataka
Agriculture, fisheries, biodiversity, healthcare access and a large diaspora economy define this region's opportunity — and its gaps. National innovation infrastructure has historically clustered around a handful of metros; this centre exists specifically to change that arithmetic for the coast.
Who we serve
What makes us different
No degree, no company required
Entry is based on the idea, not on paperwork you may not have yet.
Real fabrication infrastructure
A makerspace and fabrication bay, not a shared desk and a Wi-Fi password.
Government-backed, not government-slow
AIM mandate and oversight, run with a founder-facing operating rhythm.
Regionally specific focus areas
Chosen from the coast's real economy, not imported from a metro playbook.
Bilingual by design
English and Kannada, because the mission only works if the language does too.
A blended funding pathway
Government, CSR and scheme-linked capital mapped into one route.
An open door, literally
Phone and WhatsApp given equal weight to any web form.
Governance & legal status
ACIC Sahyadri Foundation operates as an Atal Community Innovation Centre under the Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, Government of India. The centre is hosted and operated by SHINE Foundation (Sahyadri Hub for Innovations and Entrepreneurship), a Section 8 company established by Sahyadri College of Engineering & Management. Governance is overseen by a Board comprising institutional representatives, industry experts and AIM nominees. The centre maintains full compliance with AIM's ACIC operational guidelines and reports impact metrics quarterly to the Mission.