New Delhi
Seventeen startups from tier-2 cities received government grants and investments, highlighting India’s growing innovation ecosystem outside major metropolitan hubs. The announcement came at the ‘Think Salem 2025’ startup conclave in Tamil Nadu.
Twelve startups incubated at the DST-supported Sona Inclusive Technology Business Incubator (i-TBI) received grant agreements worth Rs 50 lakh under the DST–NIDHI initiative, aimed at advancing their business ideas. Additionally, five startups received Rs 60 lakh through the Startup India Seed Fund at Sona Incubations.
The funded startups operate across diverse sectors including healthcare devices, mobility platforms, sustainability, drones, food innovation, and applied deep-tech, reflecting the growing maturity of the Salem-based startup ecosystem.
The initiative reflects a focus on public utility and scalable innovation, with founders coming from Salem, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tirupur, Trichy, Hosur, Kanyakumari, and Hyderabad. Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) range from early proof-of-concept to advanced prototype validation.
Experts emphasized that AI and technology solutions will increasingly permeate everyday life, and the future belongs to startups that redesign problems, personalize solutions, and build skills rather than merely chasing big-city addresses.
Dr T.S. Rao, Senior Advisor (Retd.), Union Department of Biotechnology, highlighted the importance of taking lab ideas to society through quality, scale, and public–private partnerships, ensuring that innovation translates into real-world impact.
Key startups include:
- NervePro (Salem): Affordable, portable nerve-monitoring system for high-risk ENT and skull-base surgeries, currently at proof-of-concept validation stage.
- IswiftPro–Min-Sakthi (Tamil Nadu): AI- and IoT-enabled solution for appliance-level energy monitoring, forecasting, and smart billing.
- DroneTribes (Salem): Indigenously designed drones for agriculture, security, and training, at TRL 6 with working prototypes and field deployments.
- Cabocab (Kanyakumari): Ride-hailing platform for Tier-3 cities, improving last-mile connectivity, at TRL 9.
