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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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New Delhi: A Noida-based private University, Galgotias has come under severe criticism after allegedly showcasing a china-made robotic dog at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi.

Social media users accused the university of purchasing a commercial robot from China and presenting it as its own creation at the summit.

Reports claimed that the university showcased the Unitree Go2 robotic dog, an AI-powered device available on Chinese platforms for Rs 2–3 lakh, under the name “Orion” during the event in New Delhi.

“So Galgotia university purchased a commercially available robot worth Rs 2.5 lakhs, called it their own and passed it off in the Delhi AI Summit as a part of their 350 crore AI ecosystem..I literally have no words left,” wrote ‘X’ user Roshan Rai, sharing a video in which a DD News reporter interviewed a university official about the robotic dog.

The viral post claimed that the robot closely resembles Unitree Go2, a quadruped robotic dog developed by Chinese company Unitree Robotics.

Screenshots attached to the post compared the robot displayed at the summit with the Unitree Go2 listing, priced at roughly 2,800 dollars (around Rs 2.3–2.5 lakhs).

According Unitree Robotics, The Unitree Go2 is widely used as a programmable quadruped robot for research, education, inspection, and development purposes, and is a common learning platform in universities and robotics labs worldwide.

Several users reiterated the claim.

Government of India funds for filing patents

Meanwhile, concerns were raised about alleged misuse of government funds.

User @sky_phd highlighted, “Galgotias University is once again in the spotlight. Under the guise of research and innovation, they are raking in plenty of money.”

The user claimed that the university took money under government funds, and wrote, “The Government of India provides incentive funding of up to five lakh rupees for filing patents.”

“To understand the patent filing process and the games being played with it, take a look at the list of top Indian institutions filing patents. All the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) together file only 803 patents, while institutions like Lovely Professional University, Jain Deemed-to-be University, Galgotias University, and Teerthanker Mahaveer University have filed more than a thousand patents each,” the user wrote, sharing a chart of patent filings by these universities.

“The basic international patent filing fee is $285–400. Through patent filings alone, these institutions are reportedly earning more than fifty crore rupees annually. However, while these universities file patents, they often do not pursue them further, and most patents ultimately do not get granted. This inflates filing numbers but does not reflect real innovation or recognized intellectual property,” the user added.

Another user pointed out about the selection criteria of the summit. The user questioned, “What exactly was the selection criteria for participation in this AI summit? .”

“Platforms meant to showcase India’s innovation should represent genuine research, original ideas, and credible institutions. So how did Galgotias University qualify to display a Chinese-made robot and present it as its own “innovation”? If true, this isn’t just embarrassing, it undermines the credibility of the entire summit and of India’s growing tech ecosystem. At a time when India is trying to position itself as a global AI and deep-tech leader, showcasing repackaged imports as indigenous innovation only damages trust. If we want the world to take India’s AI ambitions seriously, transparency and authenticity must come first,” the user added.

 

University clarifies after backlash

In response to the criticism, Galgotias University issued a clarification, stating that it “never claimed to have built the device” and that the robot was procured from a Chinese manufacturer for academic purposes.

“Let us be clear, Galgotias has not built this robodog, nor have we claimed to do so. What we are building are minds that will soon design, engineer, and manufacture such technologies in Bharat," the university said.

The university in its statement also pointed out that the Unitree Go2 is being used as a learning tool for students.

“From the US to China and Singapore, we bring advanced technologies to campus because exposure creates vision, and vision creates creators. The robodog is actively being used by students to test capabilities and explore real-world applications,” the university added.

University professor claims “it's developed by the Center of Excellence at the Galgotias University.”

In another video captured by DD News, a reporter showcased the Galgotias University pavilion at the India AI Impact Summit 2026.

At the pavilion, the reporter spoke with the university professor about the technology on display.

The professor introduced the robot, saying, “This is Orion. You need to meet Orion. It has been developed by the Center of Excellence at Galgotias University.”

She added, “I would also like to brief you about Galgotias University. We are the first private university investing more than Rs 350 crore in artificial intelligence and have a dedicated data science and AI lab on campus.”

“Orion has been developed by our Center of Excellence. It can take all shapes and sizes and is quite playful. It can perform small tasks such as surveillance and monitoring. It can even execute movements like moonwalks and somersaults,” she explained.

She also claimed that, “This is India’s first iOS lab in North India at a university, giving our students hands-on experience with cutting-edge technology.”

Reacting to the video social media users ridiculed the 350 cr rupees investment compared to the china made robo dog.

Past Controversies of the University

This is not the first time the university is in controversy. In May 2024, during the Lok Sabha elections, a video went viral showing students protesting outside the Congress headquarters in New Delhi against the party’s manifesto. The footage, captured by Aaj Tak, showed students struggling to articulate the purpose of their protest, raising questions about the demonstration’s intent.

Earlier, in 2017, students protested against the university management after being barred from appearing in exams due to low attendance, with allegations that fines were requested to allow attendance, a claim denied by the administration.

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