Bridging Grassroots Wisdom with Global Enterprise & Thought Leadership
A historic convergence accelerating ventures committed to People, Planet, and Shared Prosperity across Pondicherry University and Bharat Nivas, Auroville.
PARTICIPATING ECOSYSTEM
Bharat's first Conscious Capital Conclave is almost here. Be part of it — don't miss your chance.
For the first time in Bharat, EMERGE AURO brings together the people who will explore Conscious Capitalism — businesses that create value not only for themselves, but for people, planet and the future.
Find capital, customers, mentors and partners.
Discover the next generation of ideas and businesses.
Find startups that combine purpose with potential.
Solve real problems. Build something that matters.
Shape the policy architecture conscious capital needs.
Amplify the purpose-driven narratives conscious capital needs.
EMERGE AURO is Bharat's first Conscious Capital Conclave — three days that place startup founders at the centre, surround them with serious capital and policy architecture, and ground the whole thing in Auroville's fifty-year practice of human unity and ecological stewardship.
The hardest problems on the planet are being worked on right now by founders. Climate breakdown, food insecurity, broken health systems, polluted oceans, fractured communities. EMERGE exists to give those founders what they most lack: capital, connections, and a room where the people holding the cheque book already believe in the premise.
The conclave opens on 28 October at Pondicherry University, setting the stage for high-level engagements before moving to Bharat Nivas, Auroville. Over the following two days, the event will feature a startup showcase, investor deal lounge, founder masterclasses, and dedicated RDI Fund and policy clinics, creating opportunities for collaboration, investment, and innovation-led partnerships.
Not an expo. Not a pitch competition. A working laboratory of conscious commerce, built to produce commitments that outlast the weekend.
Three days bringing founders, investors, institutions and student innovators together to turn conscious capital into commitments.
A journey from immersion to collaboration to committed action — bringing together founders, investors, institutions and student innovators in Auroville.
Wed 28 Oct, Pondicherry University.
Theme: grounding and immersion before the deal-making days begin.
Sat 5 Dec, Bharat Nivas, Auroville.
Theme: co-creation and deal flow.
Sun 6 Dec, Bharat Nivas, Auroville.
Theme: commitments and close.
Wed 28 Oct, Pondicherry University
Theme: grounding and immersion before the deal-making days begin.
Sat 5 Dec, Bharat Nivas, Auroville
Theme: co-creation and deal flow.
Sun 6 Dec, Bharat Nivas, Auroville
Theme: commitments and close.
Pioneers, conscious leaders, visionaries, and change-makers converging to shape a regenerative tomorrow.
Additional Chief Secretary Revenue Department, Govt of Gujrat
Chairperson, Emerge Auro Founder, First World Community
Vice-Chancellor Pondicherry University
Professor, Tourism Studies & Dean–Students’ Welfare, Pondicherry University
Monk-in-Charge Ramakrishna Math, Puducherry
Co-founder & CMD Naturals Salon & Spa
Chairman Manatec Group
Director Axis Global Automation
Founder & CEO IINVYSYS
Founder, Skill Angels Convenor, FICCI Puducherry
Director, Strategic Alliances, Principal Scientific Adviser Office, GOI
Veteran Technologist & Industrial Entrepreneur
Co Convenor, Emerge Auro Director Section Infin8 Foundation
National Director IFIA Bharath
Senior Consultant Paediatric Surgeon
Fellow NITI Aayog, GOI
Chief, Head & Neck Surgical Oncology, HCG Cancer Centre
Founder Beggars Corporation
Entrepreneurship Lead, TechnoServe
CEO, School of Social Entrepreneurs
Additional Chief Secretary Revenue Department, Govt of Gujrat
Chairperson, Emerge Auro Founder, First World Community
Vice-Chancellor Pondicherry University
Professor, Tourism Studies & Dean–Students’ Welfare, Pondicherry University
Monk-in-Charge Ramakrishna Math, Puducherry
Co-founder & CMD Naturals Salon & Spa
Chairman Manatec Group
Director Axis Global Automation
Founder & CEO IINVYSYS
Founder, Skill Angels Convenor, FICCI Puducherry
Director, Strategic Alliances, Principal Scientific Adviser Office, GOI
Veteran Technologist & Industrial Entrepreneur
Co Convenor, Emerge Auro Director Section Infin8 Foundation
National Director IFIA Bharath
Senior Consultant Paediatric Surgeon
Fellow NITI Aayog, GOI
Chief, Head & Neck Surgical Oncology, HCG Cancer Centre
Founder Beggars Corporation
Entrepreneurship Lead, TechnoServe
CEO, School of Social Entrepreneurs
Additional Chief Secretary Revenue Department, Govt of Gujrat
Chairperson, Emerge Auro Founder, First World Community
Vice-Chancellor Pondicherry University
Professor, Tourism Studies & Dean–Students’ Welfare, Pondicherry University
Monk-in-Charge Ramakrishna Math, Puducherry
Co-founder & CMD Naturals Salon & Spa
Chairman Manatec Group
Director Axis Global Automation
Founder & CEO IINVYSYS
Founder, Skill Angels Convenor, FICCI Puducherry
Director, Strategic Alliances, Principal Scientific Adviser Office, GOI
Veteran Technologist & Industrial Entrepreneur
Co Convenor, Emerge Auro Director Section Infin8 Foundation
National Director IFIA Bharath
Senior Consultant Paediatric Surgeon
Fellow NITI Aayog, GOI
Chief, Head & Neck Surgical Oncology, HCG Cancer Centre
Founder Beggars Corporation
Entrepreneurship Lead, TechnoServe
CEO, School of Social Entrepreneurs
Interesting sessions at a glance
Thanks to the organisations that make this event possible
Organizations committed to a better tomorrow.
Partners driving meaningful change.
Support for a more conscious and inclusive world.
Guiding with wisdom, building with purpose, creating a more conscious tomorrow.
Chairperson, EMERGE AURO 2026 / Founder, First World Community
Dr. CK Ashok Kumar comes from one of Tamil Nadu's pioneering business families, known for making everyday products accessible and affordable to millions of Bharatians. He later spent two decades in spiritual practice at Tiruvannamalai.
IAS Secretary, Auroville Foundation
Dr. Jayanti S. Ravi has served as Secretary of the Auroville Foundation since July 2021, as chief executive and administrative head of the township. A 1991-batch IAS officer of the Gujarat cadre, she brings three decades of government leadership across healthcare, education and rural development...
Co-Convenor, EMERGE AURO 2026 / Director, Strategy & Collaboration, Section Infin-8 Foundation
Dr Shivakiran Makam serves as Director for Strategy & Collaboration at Section Infin-8 Foundation. He built and led AIC-SKU, an Atal Incubation Centre, as CEO for over three years, and co-chaired the Startup20 Alliance Group under Bharat's G20 presidency...
Meet the people driving Emerge Auro forward with vision, expertise and dedication.
Together, we build a more conscious and inclusive tomorrow.
Founder Director
Section Infin8 Foundation
Founder, Director
DPurpose Foundation
CEO
Section Infin8 Foundation
FWC
FWC
Strategic Advisor
Section Infin8 Foundation
Veteran Brand strategist,
Board member of Biosfera Foundation & Valley of Words Foundation Trust
Founder Director
Section Infin8 Foundation
Founder, Director
DPurpose Foundation
CEO
Section Infin8 Foundation
FWC
FWC
Strategic Advisor
Section Infin8 Foundation
Veteran Brand strategist,
Board member of Biosfera Foundation & Valley of Words Foundation Trust
A collective of institutions and communities working together to shape Emerge Auro — from innovation and education to enterprise and social impact.
Section Infin-8 Foundation (SI-8) is a Section 8 non-profit based in Mangaluru that serves as the architect and execution lead for the EMERGE format. The foundation is dedicated to transforming Tier-2 and Tier-3 regions into innovation hubs through its People, Planet, Prosperity vision. Building on a proven track record, SI-8 successfully organized Bharat's first beachside startup festival in 2024 and scaled the initiative into a larger platform for innovation, entrepreneurship, and ecosystem collaboration. Beyond events, SI-8 drives institutional impact through initiatives like the Silicon Beach Shark Tank, which connected over 120 startup applicants from across the country with leading investors.
First World Community (FWC) is a global business network founded and chaired by Dr. CK Ashok Kumar. FWC connects entrepreneurs to essential capital, mentorship, and visibility while operating under the core conviction that purpose-aligned businesses achieve superior, far-reaching outcomes. For EMERGE AURO, FWC plays a central role as the on-ground execution lead and Puducherry implementation partner.
Pondicherry University hosts Day 1 of EMERGE AURO. Established by an Act of Parliament in 1985 and funded through the Ministry of Education, it is a premier central university known for its contributions to higher education, research, and innovation. The university opens the conclave with the Innovation Challenge finale, the School Science Model Expo, and an academic showcase focused on intellectual property, research, and commercialisation.
UTTHAN (Upscaling Tier 2 and 3 Colleges for the Holistic Advancement of Nation) is a national programme partner initiative spearheaded in collaboration with the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of Bharat. It addresses the critical gap in research and innovation infrastructure across regional colleges by driving R&D partnerships, IPR support, and physical innovation hubs.
Our location and how you can get here
Address
2R43+MZX, Auroville
Irumbai, Tamil Nadu - 605101
Bharat
A glimpse into the journey of innovation and impact
Got questions? Write to us.