17 startups from tier 2 cities receive govt grants, investments
New Delhi, Dec. 28 — In a ceremony held in Tamil Nadu, 12 startups nurtured by the Department of Science and Technology‑backed Sona Inclusive Technology Business Incubator (i‑TBI) were awarded grant agreements totaling ₹50 lakh. The awards were announced at the “Think Salem 2025” startup conclave and are part of the DST‑NIDHI programme, which is designed to help companies bring their ideas to market.
An additional ₹60 lakh was invested by the Startup India Seed Fund at Sona Incubations in five of the incubator’s ventures. “Five startups picked up for the ₹60 lakh grant from the Start‑Up India Seed Fund, managed by Sona Incubation Foundation, include those working on management of diaper waste, millet‑based food products, and an ed‑tech startup offering immersive learning solutions,” said Dr S. R.R. Senthilkumar, Executive Chair of Sona Incubations and Principal of Sona College of Technology.
The Salem‑centric pipeline spans health devices, mobility platforms, sustainability, drones, food innovation and applied deep‑tech, showing how the region’s startup ecosystem is maturing.
Among the high‑Technology Readiness Level (TRL) cohort, NervePro stands out. The Salem‑based deep‑tech firm has created a low‑cost, portable nerve‑monitoring device that protects facial nerves during high‑risk ENT and skull‑base surgeries, and has successfully completed a proof‑of‑concept validation.
Another Tamil Nadu entrant, IswiftPro‑Min‑Sakthi, offers an IoT‑ and AI‑driven solution that digitises appliance‑level energy consumption. It provides accurate forecasting, smart billing, and energy savings for homes and businesses.
DroneTribes, also from Salem, has reached TRL 6 with its indigenous drones for agriculture, security, and training. The company now has working prototypes and is deploying them in the field.
From Kanyakumari, Cabocab operates a ride‑hailing platform focused on Tier‑3 cities across India. With a TRL of 9, the startup aims to improve last‑mile connectivity by providing faster commutes outside metropolitan markets.
Dr T. S. Rao, Senior Advisor (Retd.) at the Union Department of Biotechnology, emphasized that “Innovation matters only when it becomes public utility. Take ideas from the lab to society through quality, scale and public‑private partnership.”
Startups represented cities such as Salem, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tirupur, Trichy, Hosur, Kanyakumari and Hyderabad, with technology readiness levels ranging from early proof‑of‑concept to advanced prototype validation.
Sivakumar Palanisamy, Vice President and Chief of Staff at StartupTN, added, “AI will move into everyday life. The future belongs to startups that redesign problems, personalise solutions and build skills—not those chasing big‑city addresses.”
— IANS
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