Andhra University

Overview

Andhra University, headquartered in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, is one of India's oldest state universities (founded 1926) and a key knowledge anchor for the Andhra-Telangana region. Through its Andhra University Incubation Council (registered as a Section-8 not-for-profit) and the A-Hub (ā hub) ecosystem, the university has emerged as a serious player in the Indian academic incubation landscape.

A-Hub Incubation Ecosystem

A-Hub is the university's collaborative innovation and incubation platform, built largely with funding from RUSA 2.0 (Rashtriya Uchchattar Shiksha Abhiyan) — a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Government of India for state universities. The ecosystem now spans:

• 2.0 lakh sq ft planned integrated innovation campus
• 1.1 lakh sq ft of infrastructure ready
• 49,000 sq ft under active operation
• 121 startups incubated to date

A-Hub provides workspace, seed funding, mentoring, training, prototyping facilities, and access to the university's labs across science, engineering, pharmacy, and management.

Funding & Impact

• ₹62.7 crore in startup funding facilitated for portfolio companies
• ₹15.05 crore disbursed as incubation grants
• 579 direct jobs created by portfolio companies
• 74 events hosted including hackathons, summits, and pitch days

Next Gen Tech Incubation Centre

The university is investing ₹10 crore (largely RUSA-funded) into a dedicated Next Gen Tech Incubation Centre, focused on emerging-tech startups across AI, robotics, drones, semiconductors, and marine-tech (leveraging Visakhapatnam's coastal location).

AUCIIG — Centenary Innovation & Impact Grant

To mark the university's centenary, Andhra University has launched the Andhra University Centenary Innovation & Impact Grant (AUCIIG) — a flagship grant call for innovative ventures aligned with the university's research and regional development priorities.

Sectors

Marine-tech, biotech, pharma, materials, AI, semiconductors, drones, agritech, healthtech.

Eligibility

Andhra University students, alumni, faculty-led ventures, and external founders building ventures with research-collaboration potential. Specific grants like AUCIIG have separate eligibility criteria tied to the grant's mandate.

Who Should Apply

Andhra Pradesh-based founders, AU students/alumni, and deep-tech / research-backed startups looking for academic infrastructure, government-funded grants, and a regional innovation campus.