Mangaluru: TiE Mangaluru will host the inaugural TiECon Mangaluru 2026 on January 16, coinciding with National Startup Day, marking a major milestone for the startup ecosystem of Coastal Karnataka.

The convention, supported by the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) and the Silicon Beach Program (SBP), is expected to bring together more than 500 delegates, including entrepreneurs, investors, corporate leaders, policymakers, and innovators from across India and abroad, with a focus on highlighting Coastal Karnataka’s emergence as an innovation and investment destination.

TiECon Mangaluru 2026 will feature over 50 investors and 30 startup exhibitors, showcasing 30 of the region’s most promising startups. The event aims to position the Mangaluru–Udupi–Manipal belt, widely referred to as the Silicon Beach of India, as a key driver of Karnataka’s next phase of startup-led growth.

The convention will see participation from several senior leaders and prominent figures from government, industry and the startup ecosystem. 

Key leaders at the event:

  •  Priyank Kharge, Minister of IT & BT, Govt. of Karnataka

  • Captain Brijesh Chowta, MP of Dakshina Kannada

  •  S Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)

  •  Manjula N IAS, Secretary, IT & BT, Govt. of Karnataka

  •  Sharath Bache Gowda, Chairman, KEONICS 

  • Padma Shri Prashanth Prakash, Partner, Accel India

  •  Murali Bukkapattanam, President, TiE Global

  •  Mohandas Pai, Chairman, 3one4 Capital

  •  Romal Shetty, CEO, Deloitte South Asia

  •  Suniel Shetty, Entrepreneur and Actor

  •  BV Naidu, Chairman, KDEM

  •  Sanjeev Gupta, CEO, KDEM 

Speaking to the media at the Mangaluru Press Club, Rohith Bhat, Founding President of TiE Mangaluru, said that the TiE Mangaluru chapter was established in April 2023 with the vision to galvanize the startup ecosystem in the Mangaluru–Udupi–Manipal region, which is now recognised as the Silicon Beach of India.

He said that in less than two years, TiE Mangaluru has organised 40+ startup-focused programmes, reached 400+ entrepreneurs, and built a strong member base of 130+ founders, who collectively employ over 20,000 people.

He further stated that with the presence of 15+ angel investors and three recent tech exits collectively valued at over USD 250 million, the region has demonstrated strong early traction and clear potential to emerge as Karnataka’s next major startup hub. Outlining the long-term roadmap, he said the vision is to enable 4,000 startups by 2034, with at least five unicorns emerging from the region.

Adding to this, Prashanth Rao Aroor, Chair of the TiECon Organising Committee 2026, said the convention features a strong lineup of speakers and ecosystem builders such as Prashanth Prakash, Mohandas Pai, BV Naidu and Sanjeev Gupta, from whom the region intends to learn and draw inspiration to become one of the top innovation hubs in the country in the coming decade.

He added that 30 high-potential, high-growth startups from the Silicon Beach of India have been carefully curated for potential investors and high-net-worth individuals to experience the innovation taking shape in the region.

TiE Mangaluru expressed its gratitude to its sponsors for extending support to TiECon Mangaluru 2026.

The event is supported by DBS as the banking partner, with Niveus Solutions (part of NTT Data), Featherlite, and Neo Wealth Partners as platinum sponsors. The diamond sponsors include Nuvama Private, Karnataka Bank, Vertex Workspace, and Peninsula Del Mar, while The Avatar Hotel is the hospitality partner for the convention.

About TiE:
TiE was founded in 1992 in Silicon Valley by a group of successful entrepreneurs, corporate executives and senior professionals with the objective of fostering entrepreneurship globally. Over the last 25 years, TiE chapters around the world have evolved into a vibrant platform for entrepreneurs, professionals, industry leaders and investors to interact, collaborate and forge long-lasting relationships. Today, TiE has over 15,000 members, including more than 3,000 charter members and mentors, spread across 61 chapters in 14 countries.

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Jhajjar (PTI): A chartered accountant has been arrested for allegedly killing his pregnant wife by slitting her throat with a pair of scissors and trying to pass it off as a robbery attempt, police said on Wednesday.

According to police, Anshul Dhawan (31) got married to Mehak (27) in September last year. Both worked in Gurugram.

Police received a call on Sunday night reporting that some unidentified people tried to rob Anshul, took his car and kidnapped his wife, SHO Badli, Inspector Suresh said.

When police reached the spot, they found the woman's body near a dry canal with injury marks on her neck, he said.

Suspecting inconsistencies in Anshul's version of events, police took him into custody for interrogation. He confessed that he had killed Mehak with a pair of scissors, wearing gloves, over suspicions about her character, SHO said.

"During his questioning, it came to light that he had pre-planned the murder. His wife worked in a private bank in Gurugram. He had doubts that she talked to her friends, and he did not like it," SHO added. Following the confession, Anshul was arrested on Monday.

Further investigation into the matter is underway, police said.

Mehak's sister, Shruti, told the reporters that the family had doubts that Anshul was involved in the murder. She said, "We want justice; the killer should be hanged. He did not even think that his wife was two months pregnant."

She said on February 15, Anshul came to their house and stayed only for ten minutes and left with Mehal for Gurugram.

Shruti alleged that Anshul had pre-planned the murder.