Kerala Startup Mission is to take aboard young innovators on an “Innovation Train” from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasargod to ideate solutions for grassroot level problems.
The train, a first of its kind initiative in the country, is set to flag off on December 21 and reach Kasargod the following day as part of the IEDC (Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Centre) Summit 2025, which will be held in that district on that day.
The Innovation Train is designed as a real-world, working innovation environment, which functions as a thematic ideation zone equipped with structured problem-statement boards, guided design-thinking sessions, rapid validation tools, mentor interaction slots and live pitch corners.
Students will be encouraged to identify local challenges from their respective districts—spanning livelihoods, public services, climate resilience, agriculture, fisheries, healthcare and education, and translate them into solution-oriented ideas during the journey.
The initiative is expected to come out with more than 200 well-defined, implementable ideas and problem statements, many of them rooted in lived experiences and community needs.
The Innovation Train is an entirely novel concept that seeks to build a clear pathway from grassroots problem identification to institutional support and market linkage, said Anoop Ambika, CEO, KSUM. “Through this initiative, KSUM is reinforcing its commitment to inclusive, bottom-up innovation by ensuring that youth from all regions—not just urban centres—have equal opportunity to contribute to Kerala’s startup and innovation ecosystem,” he said.
The Innovation Train is an entirely novel concept that seeks to build a clear pathway from grassroots problem identification to institutional support and market linkage,” said Anoop Ambika, CEO, KSUM.”
By combining the reach of the IEDC network with a mobile, experiential platform, the initiative transforms travel into a tool for discovery and collaboration, inspiring the next generation to innovate for real-world impact, he added.
The IEDC summits had over the years consistently acted as a catalyst for student-led startups and campus innovations. The upcoming edition takes that impact beyond fixed venues by embedding innovation into the journey itself. The IEDC network, spread across engineering, arts and science campuses and universities in Kerala, has played a pivotal role in nurturing grassroots innovation.
Selected ideas will be enabled to move forward to structured mentoring, proof-of-concept development and incubation opportunities through KSUM-supported programmes and get showcased at the IEDC Summit.
Published on December 18, 2025
