BeTCA Tech Meet 2026 showcases the city’s growing technology ecosystem, launches eight products and signs MoU with Goa Technology Companies Association
What is being built in Belagavi’s technology ecosystem is no longer confined to office doors and engineering labs. The fifth edition of the BeTCA Tech Meet 2026, held at the Foundry Cluster on Saturday, brought that technology directly before the public, industry professionals and entrepreneurs — and the response suggested that many were seeing the scale of the ecosystem for the first time.
Organised by the Belagavi Technology Companies Association (BeTCA), the fifth edition was held under the theme “Engineering the Future – AI. DeepTech. Security.”
The event brought together technology companies, founders, engineers, entrepreneurs, professionals and technology enthusiasts for an evening of keynote sessions, panel discussions, product launches and an exhibition featuring BeTCA member companies.
The venue witnessed a packed house, while the exhibition stalls drew considerable attention throughout the event. Visitors interacted with companies and explored products and solutions being developed locally across a surprisingly wide range of sectors.
For many, the exhibition was perhaps the biggest takeaway — a realisation that companies operating from Belagavi are working on technologies spanning artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, aerospace, defence, embedded systems, engineering software, healthcare and digital platforms.
‘You don’t have to leave Belagavi to build something remarkable’
The keynote address by Deepak Shapeti, Co-Founder and CEO of Morphing Machines, focused on innovation, entrepreneurship and the ecosystem that is emerging in Belagavi.
Shapeti, a chemical engineer by training, spoke about his own entrepreneurial journey and the different domains he explored before building his current venture.
He said Belagavi today has the ecosystem needed to support innovation and help young entrepreneurs build companies from the city itself.
Speaking about entrepreneurship, Shapeti said founders need a certain willingness to take risks and act despite uncertainty. He attributed his journey in part to the broad perspective he gained from working across different fields and his willingness to not be afraid of failure.
He urged young people to remain curious, explore disciplines beyond their immediate areas and develop the confidence to experiment.
A key message from his address was that young entrepreneurs do not necessarily need to leave Belagavi to build something remarkable.
The message resonated strongly with the broader theme of the Tech Meet — that Belagavi is developing the people, companies and capabilities required to participate in the next wave of technology.
Cybersecurity: What happens when an attack begins?
Cybersecurity was one of the key areas of discussion at the Tech Meet, with a panel titled “Beyond the Firewall: How Modern Cyber Attacks Are Detected, Traced and Stopped.”
The panel brought together professionals working in digital forensics, cybersecurity and cyber-threat intelligence.
The speakers were Saleem Landur, a mobile metadata and digital forensics expert; Hitesh Dharmdasani, Founder and CEO of NetSense CyberSecurity; and Swapneel Patnekar, who works in cybersecurity and cyber-threat intelligence.
The session was moderated by Aadil Bandukwala, VP – Content Studio at HackerRank.
The discussion looked at what happens after a cyberattack — how attacks are identified, how digital evidence is traced and how organisations respond.
The panel also brought the subject beyond conventional IT security, highlighting the impact cyber incidents can have on businesses, data, money and trust.
From an idea to a market-ready product
A second panel examined one of the most difficult parts of technology entrepreneurship — converting an idea into a product that can actually reach the market.
The panel featured Murali Srinivasa, Founder and CEO of LionCircuits; Deepak Shapeti; Uma Bondada; and Tulasidas Salunkhe. The discussion was moderated by Sandeep Patil.
The conversation covered engineering, product development, manufacturing and the challenges involved in moving from an initial concept to a usable commercial product.
Murali Srinivasa brought the perspective of electronics and PCB manufacturing through his work at LionCircuits, while the other panellists brought perspectives from engineering, entrepreneurship and technology development.
The discussion highlighted that innovation does not end with an idea. Engineering, manufacturing, validation, market understanding and execution are all critical parts of taking a product from concept to customer.
Building Belagavi: The startup story
The third major discussion looked at the city’s entrepreneurial ecosystem through the panel “Building Belagavi: The Startup Story.”
The panel featured Mehmood Athani, content creator; Swathi Gururaj Kulkarni, entrepreneur and founder of Funda Hudugi; and Ian Nazareth, founder of The Foundry Podcast.
The discussion was moderated by Mili Mishra, Co-Founder of Bumshum.
The panel explored the experiences of entrepreneurs and creators building their businesses and communities from Belagavi, while also examining how the city’s startup and technology ecosystem is changing.
The conversation provided a different perspective to the engineering-heavy discussions, focusing on entrepreneurship, visibility, content and the growing ability of people to build ventures and audiences from the city.
Eight products take the stage
One of the highlights of the fifth edition was the product launch segment, where BeTCA member companies presented their latest products and concepts.
The launches reflected the diversity of the technology ecosystem being built in Belagavi.
Sarus Aerospace — Shaurya
Rahul Patil presented Shaurya, an aerospace innovation from Sarus Aerospace focused on indigenous technology for India’s defence requirements.
The product was presented under the theme “From Belagavi to the Battlefield.”
GroEDGE — AI-powered patient acquisition
Rushikesh Burse presented GroEDGE, an AI-powered patient acquisition system designed for clinics.
The system currently focuses on skin, aesthetic and dermatology clinics and aims to make patient acquisition and growth more predictable.
MIMO360 by ZeuronAI
Siddharth Nair and Dr Akash Gadgade presented MIMO360, a connected-care platform combining specialist care, rehabilitation and everyday support.
The platform covers areas including neurological conditions, metabolic disorders such as diabetes and women’s health, with the company working to deliver the technology from Belagavi to a wider market.
Samhita Engineering — Product Engineering Suite
Sandeep Patil presented the Product Engineering Suite (PES) from Samhita Engineering.
The platform is an AI-assisted system designed to streamline and strengthen the end-to-end development lifecycle of safety-critical systems.
Conqer AI
Rahul Hukkerikar and Rachana presented Conqer AI, which allows businesses to create websites, generate marketing posters and captions and automatically post content on social media through WhatsApp.
The product attempts to bring several digital marketing functions together through a platform familiar to businesses and users.
FIXIDU
Harshit Reddy and team presented FIXIDU, an online aggregator for handyman services.
The platform connects users with service providers across areas such as plumbing, electrical work, carpentry, masonry and appliance repairs.
Sora Labs — AI agents for business operations
Roshan Patil presented Sora Labs, which is building AI agents designed to connect conversations, integrations and business operations.
The platform aims to help businesses move from intent to action, using AI agents to connect different parts of their workflows and automate operational tasks.
Reputes — Zen Voice
Supreet Dixit presented Zen Voice, an AI-powered, all-in-one CRM suite designed to streamline sales operations.
The platform captures and evaluates sales calls, manages leads, automates WhatsApp and email nurturing, generates quotations and contracts, and provides dashboards and sales insights — bringing multiple sales functions together on a single platform.
BeTCA signs MoU with Goa Technology Companies Association
A significant development at the fifth edition was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between BeTCA and the Goa Technology Companies Association (GTCA) to promote mutual cooperation between the two technology associations.
The agreement is aimed at creating opportunities for the technology communities in Belagavi and Goa to collaborate, exchange knowledge and explore areas of mutual interest.
The MoU is expected to provide a platform for companies and members of both associations to connect with each other and explore opportunities for industry collaboration, knowledge sharing, networking and joint initiatives.
The partnership also expands BeTCA’s engagement beyond Belagavi, connecting the city’s growing technology ecosystem with a wider regional network.
For BeTCA, the agreement marks another step in building connections for its member companies and creating avenues through which local technology firms can access new networks, partnerships and opportunities.
The stalls became a major attraction
While the stage featured discussions on the future of technology, the exhibition area provided perhaps the most tangible demonstration of what is already happening in Belagavi.
BeTCA member companies displayed their products and technologies at stalls throughout the venue, attracting visitors during the event.
The response was particularly notable because several visitors were surprised by the range of technology being developed by companies based in Belagavi.
The exhibition brought together companies working across different technology domains, providing a glimpse into an ecosystem that extends well beyond traditional software services.
AI, DeepTech, cybersecurity, aerospace, defence, embedded systems, healthcare technology and engineering solutions were among the areas represented.
For the technology community, the stalls also provided an opportunity to interact directly with fellow companies, potential collaborators, entrepreneurs and visitors.
From a small group to a growing technology community
The fifth Tech Meet also reflected the growth of BeTCA itself.
The association, which began as an effort to bring Belagavi’s technology companies together, has grown into a 90-plus-member community, with more than 50 companies working across diverse technology sectors.
The ecosystem now includes companies involved in areas such as DeepTech, embedded systems, SaaS, cybersecurity, defence technology, 3D technology and AI.
BeTCA’s jobs initiative has also been building connections between companies and technology talent. Its jobs portal has recorded around 143 job postings, with approximately 30 job offers made and around 20 positions accepted.
Five editions later, a different Belagavi is emerging
The significance of the fifth edition was not just the number of companies or sessions on the programme. It was the visibility that the event gave to a technology ecosystem that is steadily developing within Belagavi.
For years, the city’s identity has largely been associated with traditional industries, education, manufacturing and engineering. The Tech Meet offered a different picture — one where companies are developing products in AI, cybersecurity, aerospace, defence and other emerging technology areas.
The packed venue and strong response to the exhibition showed growing public curiosity about this ecosystem.
Five editions into its journey, the BeTCA Tech Meet has evolved from a gathering of technology companies into a platform for showcasing products, exchanging ideas and building connections. With the latest edition combining product launches, an exhibition, industry discussions and the MoU with the Goa Technology Companies Association, the event also reflected an ecosystem increasingly looking beyond Belagavi while continuing to build from the city.
And perhaps the strongest message from the fifth edition was visible not on the stage, but at the stalls — Belagavi is not merely consuming technology; companies here are increasingly building it.