Adding glory to the Indian startup journey, 12 startups incubated at the Department of Science and Technology (DST)-supported incubator received grant agreements worth Rs 50 lakh at an event in Tamil Nadu, showcasing innovation from tier 2 cities.
The startups incubated at the DST-supported Sona Inclusive Technology Business Incubator (i-TBI) received grants under the DST–NIDHI initiative to advance their business ideas, it was announced at the ‘Think Salem 2025’ startup conclave.
Moreover, The ‘Startup India Seed Fund’ at Sona Incubations invested Rs 60 lakh in five startups.
With these, the ideas and ventures incubated at Salem span healthcare devices, mobility platforms, sustainability, drones, food innovation and applied deep-tech, reflecting the growing maturity of the Salem-centred startup ecosystem.
“Five startups picked up for the Rs 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, Sona Incubations and Principal, Sona College of Technology.
Leading the high Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) cohort is NervePro, a Salem-based healthcare deep-tech startup that has developed an affordable, portable nerve-monitoring system designed to protect facial nerves during high-risk ENT and skull-base surgeries. The startup has completed a proof-of-concept validation study.
Another Tamil Nadu startup, IswiftPro–Min-Sakthi, is an IoT- and AI-enabled solution that digitises appliance-level energy consumption, enabling accurate forecasting, smart billing and energy efficiency for households and institutions.
DroneTribes, based in Salem, has progressed to TRL 6 with indigenously designed drones for agriculture, security and training, with working prototypes and field deployments already underway.
Kanyakumari-based Cabocab is a ride-hailing platform operating across Tier-3 cities in India. With a TRL of 9, the startup is focused on improving last-mile connectivity by offering faster commutes beyond metropolitan markets.
Dr T. S. Rao, Senior Advisor (Retd.), Union Department of Biotechnology, said, “Innovation matters only when it becomes public utility. Take ideas from the lab to society through quality, scale and public–private partnership.”
The startup founders came from 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, StartupTN, said, “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.”
