The KLE Centre for Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship (KLE CTIE) teamed up with Mundhe Banni and Avantro Labs to launch the RiNK Initiative – Rise in North Karnataka. The launch took place on Saturday, December 22, 2025, in Hubballi. This program aims to bring tech professionals back from big cities and help startups, GCCs, and enterprises grow in North Karnataka. The launch was part of the Mundhe Banni Startup Meetup at KLE Technological University (KLETU), Hubballi. More than 230 entrepreneurs, founders, investors, and innovators from Hubballi, Dharwad, Belagavi, and nearby areas attended. The full-day event featured a Venture Capital panel moderated by Vasant Shetty, founder of Mundhe Banni. Vinod Shankar from Java Capital and Nihal Shetty from Rainmatter by Zerodha shared insights on funding. Raffic Aslam, formerly with Zoho, conducted a masterclass on brand storytelling followed by a question-and-answer session. KLETU Vice Chancellor Prakash Tewari welcomed the guests and highlighted Mundhe Banni’s goal to support 100,000 entrepreneurs and generate 1 million jobs in Karnataka. He spoke about connectivity challenges and tier-2 funding issues in North Karnataka. He praised Sankalp Semiconductor’s success, which helped create over 10 VLSI firms and employ 1,000 professionals in Hubballi. He said, "Universities must enable ambition through bridges like CTiE and Mundhe Banni." He encouraged students by saying entrepreneurship means courage, persistence, and community. Mundhe Banni founder Vasant Shetty said, "Over 230 young entrepreneurs and engineers gathered with new ideas at the launch, and it was a promising start." KLETU Pro-Chancellor Ashok Shettar highlighted Hubballi's potential for tech ventures, citing the annual graduation of 8,000-10,000 students. He noted that Infosys and other new companies are setting roots in the city. He said, "I think RiNK is the seamless pathway for us all to live better and build big from namma ooru, our native place." Other dignitaries present included Police Commissioner N. Shashi Kumar, Devaraj R from NHAI, Vinod Shankar of Java Capital, Vinayak Hosamani from KLE CTIE, and Chethan Shettar from Avantro Labs, according to a release.