Winning K-Tech NAIN 2.0: Our Story

In December 2025, Vyanika Innovations placed first at the K-Tech NAIN 2.0 Innovation Challenge — a milestone that changed the trajectory of the company more than any single event since.

What NAIN 2.0 is

The Karnataka Startup Policy’s NAIN (Nurturing Aspiring Innovators and Nascent-startups) initiative backs early-stage deep-tech teams across the state, and K-Tech NAIN 2.0 is its flagship innovation challenge — mentored by IIIT Bangalore and built to connect winning teams with incubation support.

What we brought to the table

We pitched Smart Kabaddi as it stood at the time: a working sensor-matrix prototype, an edge decision pipeline designed to run without a cloud round-trip, and a case for why Kabaddi — an underserved sport by broadcast-technology standards — was the right first deployment for the platform. The panel’s questions pushed hard on durability and cost versus existing officiating technology, and the honest answer then was the same as it is now: those are engineering targets we’re actively validating, not numbers we’re claiming to have already proven — and that framing held up better with the panel than an overclaim would have.

What winning unlocked

Securing first place came with incubation at MITE, and it opened doors that followed quickly after: selection into the NSRCEL Pre-Incubation Program at IIM Bangalore, continued mentorship from IIIT Bangalore, and recognition through the Bolpu Mangaluru Innovation Initiative, led by Hon. MP Captain Brijesh Chowta. Each of those relationships has shaped how we’re building the company, not just the product.

Where we are now

We’ve since filed a patent application covering the core sensor matrix and detection method, and we’re continuing to build out Smart Kabaddi as our first commercial deployment. None of that would have moved as fast without that first win — it’s the reason we tell this story on the blog rather than just listing it as a badge on the homepage.