Student Participation

Nilgiris Impact Challenge (NIC) 2026

From February 02, 2026, to February 5, 2026  The Nilgiris Impact Challenge (NIC) 2026, themed “Innovating for the Hills”, was hosted by Kumaraguru Institutions in partnership with StartupTN, anchored by the Nilgiris District Administration, and curated by CII and Nilgiris Economic Dialogue.

The mentoring team comprised Allwin Kenneth P(24MBA013), Visalakshi L (24MBA181), Mohan Raj S P(25MBA088), Arun Karthik K P (25MBA022) , and Aravindan S (25MBA019), who guided teams working on Problem Statement 5: Market Linkages, Branding, and Packaging for Tribal Products. Their role was to ensure that solutions remained community-centric, culturally authentic, and aligned with district priorities such as fair value realization, consumer trust, and scalable yet community-controlled models.

The mentoring process played a pivotal role in shaping responsible and impactful solutions, ensuring that innovation respected cultural and ecological integrity while addressing real-time district needs. The event highlighted the collaborative effort of mentors, professors, and students in driving sustainable development for the Nilgiris region.