Sabiha Fathima/Bengaluru

On 31 October, Bengaluru will witness something rare and powerful. Industrialists who built factories from scratch, young founders coding the next big idea, high-net-worth investors looking for purpose-driven returns, and senior government officials will gather under one roof for UDAAN 2026 – Elevating Minority Entrepreneurship.

Organised by the Muslim Industrialists Association (MIA), this flagship event is designed to do more than network. It aims to rewrite the narrative of minority business in Karnataka from struggle to scale, from isolation to collaboration, from aspiration to achievement.

Importantly, UDAAN has been organised to initiate a meaningful and sustained dialogue between the government, industrialists, businessmen and bureaucrats so that real policy and practical challenges can be addressed through direct conversation.

Abdul Rasheed B.J., speaking at the press conference, said, “Today we have talent, we have capital, we have government schemes. Yet they remain scattered. UDAAN brings five stakeholders- startups, industry, HNIs, government and academia- onto one platform so that 50 per cent of the problems can be solved simply by talking to each other.”

The numbers tell their own story. Last year, under the Karnataka Minorities Development Corporation (KMDC), only 30 of 63 applicants received support from a modest ₹5 crore budget. With additional help, another ₹4 crore was mobilised. MIA’s clear demand at UDAAN 2026: raise this corpus to ₹50 crore so that far more promising ventures can take off.

A formal memorandum will be submitted to attending ministers seeking equitable distribution of industrial subsidies, simplified access to government grants, targeted entrepreneurship programmes, and business-friendly policy frameworks.

“We are not asking for special favours,” says Mohammed Azmatullah, MIA Joint Secretary and Project Head. “We are asking for a level playing field so that minority entrepreneurs can compete, create jobs and contribute to Karnataka’s growth story.”

For the first time, MIA will publicly present its vision for a dedicated incubation centre. Mentorship, skill training, industry linkages, investor access and guidance on government schemes will be institutionalised.

“This is a pilot,” Abdul Rasheed emphasises. “But one pilot is not enough. We need a hundred such centres. Skill education must begin from Class 6, not after graduation. Economic development does not happen by speeches alone; it happens when we build systems that catch young talent early.”

On the day of the event, 30 startups and entrepreneurs from minority communities will be awarded for their achievements in securing government grants and funding in Karnataka.

These high-potential founders will also be given a prestigious platform to pitch directly to investors and industry leaders. The goal is not merely applause but actual investment, partnerships and market expansion.

Expected participants include ministers U.T. Khader and Rizwan Arshad, Speaker Saleem Ahmed, Chief Minister’s economic advisor L.K. Atheeq, Rajya Sabha MP Mansoor Ali Khan, leading industrialists, HNIs, trade body heads and, of course, the energetic founders who represent the future.

MIA leaders holding UDAAN 2026 materials during the official announcement

Vice-President Tahir Shariff says, “Bengaluru is called the startup capital of India. Yet within our own community, the pipeline of unicorns and successful scale-ups remains thin. UDAAN is our determined attempt to change that reality permanently.”

The Muslim Industrialists Association itself was born in 2004 in the industrial heartland of Peenya and formally registered in 2007. Its founding members, successful manufacturers and businessmen, shared a quiet conviction: the community must become employment generators, not just job-seekers.

Over two decades, MIA has organised business summits, monthly networking meets, livelihood programmes and skill initiatives. UDAAN 2026 is the natural evolution of that long journey, more focused, more ambitious, more collaborative.

Mir Abdul Hafeez, Secretary, MIA, says, “We have always believed that when minority entrepreneurs succeed, the entire economy benefits. Jobs are created, innovation multiplies, and social confidence grows. This event is about making that success systematic rather than accidental.”

UDAAN is deliberately designed as a closed, high-quality gathering limited to 500–600 carefully registered participants. Only invitees can attend the meet.

MIA hopes UDAAN becomes an annual institution, a living laboratory where government schemes are refined, investors discover talent, and young founders find the mentors and capital they need. It has already contacted educational institutions, Al-Ameen, Shaheen, Umeed Academy, Prestige, Presidency and others, as well as large business houses to establish more incubation centres across the state.

As October 31 approaches, the air in Bengaluru’s entrepreneurial circles is charged with anticipation. For many young founders from minority backgrounds, this may be the first time they stand before a room of decision-makers who understand both their challenges and their potential.

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Abdul Rasheed B.J. said, "We have children with knowledge and fire. We have industrialists with experience, and resources. We have government schemes waiting to be utilised. What we lack is a platform that brings them together.

For those who believe that economic empowerment is the strongest foundation of dignity, this gathering cannot be missed.