Anantapur, 16 October 2025 – The Atal Incubation Centre – Sri Krishnadevaraya University (AIC-SKU) has successfully concluded the IGNITE 9.0 Entrepreneurship Development Program (EDP), held under its Academic Partnership Model. The initiative aims to foster innovation and entrepreneurial thinking among students from higher education institutions across Andhra Pradesh.
This year’s cohort featured four academic partners:
- SV Degree College, Anantapur
- Anantha Lakshmi Institute of Technology & Science (ALTS), Anantapur
- Bapatla Engineering College (BEC), Bapatla
- Geethanjali Institute of Science & Technology (GIST), Nellore
Out of 225 applications, 38 teams were shortlisted for the EDP training, which ran from August 24 to September 26, 2025. The program included 12 virtual knowledge sessions led by Mr. Naveen Lakkur, International Coach and Serial Entrepreneur, and Mr. Anand Kannan, Primary Coach. Topics covered included Entrepreneurship as a Career, Product Development, Branding, Lean Canvas, Team Building, and Market Validation.
Following two rounds of personalized mentoring, 17 teams successfully completed the program and presented their business ideas during the Final Demo Day held on October 15, 2025, at AIC-SKU, Anantapur.
Top Performing Teams
- First Place: Agri Cool Pods – SV Degree College, Anantapur
- Second Place: Avinya – ALTS, Anantapur
- *Third Place (tie):
- Waste to Wow – BEC, Bapatla
- Ova Cure – GIST, Nellore
- Viginary Forge – ALTS, Anantapur
“IGNITE 9.0 reinforces our commitment to grassroots innovation and student-led entrepreneurship,” said an AIC-SKU spokesperson. “We’re proud to see such creativity and drive from young minds across Andhra Pradesh.”
