The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay is set to host the Bharat Innovates Deep-Tech Pre-Summit this March, bringing together some of India’s most promising technology-driven start-ups, along with investors, policymakers and academic leaders.
The two-day national showcase will feature around 137 deep-tech start-ups selected from more than 3,000 applications received across the country, marking one of the largest curated platforms for research-led innovation in India.
The pre-summit is part of the larger Bharat Innovates 2026 initiative, which aims to position India’s deep-tech ecosystem on the global stage. Announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the launch of the India-France Year of Innovation 2026, the initiative will culminate in an international showcase in France later this year. The IIT Bombay event is expected to serve as a key national stepping stone toward that global engagement.
The summit will be inaugurated by Prof Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India and Chairperson of the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology & Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC). Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will also be present, alongside senior government officials, including Dr Vineet Joshi, Secretary, Department of Higher Education; Prof Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology; and Dr Rajesh Sudhir Gokhale, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology. Dr K Radhakrishnan, Chairperson of the Board of Governors at IIT Bombay, will also attend.
Speaking ahead of the event, IIT Bombay Director Prof. Shireesh Kedare said the summit reflects the collective strength of India’s premier academic and research institutions in nurturing deep-tech innovation. He highlighted the role of IITs and IISc, whose incubators, faculty and mentors were instrumental in evaluating and guiding start-ups through the selection process.
The summit will feature a mix of exhibitions, investor interactions and networking opportunities. Start-ups will showcase innovations spanning sectors such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, clean energy, advanced materials and space technology—areas where deep-tech solutions are increasingly seen as critical to economic growth and strategic capability.
A key highlight will be a series of start-up pitch sessions, where founders will present their technologies and business models to leading investors and industry stakeholders. These sessions are expected to facilitate funding opportunities as well as strategic partnerships.
In a reverse format, the summit will also host 'reverse pitch' sessions, where investors and industry leaders will outline priority sectors and specific research and development challenges. This approach is aimed at aligning start-up innovation with real-world industry needs and fostering collaborative problem-solving.
Participating institutions from across the IIT ecosystem will set up dedicated stalls to present their innovation pipelines. These will include live demonstrations of technologies, ongoing research projects and incubation programmes, offering a glimpse into how academic institutions are driving entrepreneurship.
Beyond showcasing start-ups, the event will also host discussions on strengthening India’s deep-tech ecosystem. Policymakers, researchers and industry leaders are expected to deliberate on issues such as funding gaps, technology transfer, scaling challenges and global market access for Indian innovations.
The summit comes at a time when India is pushing to expand its footprint in deep-tech sectors, which typically require high levels of research, capital and long development cycles but hold significant potential for long-term impact.
According to organisers, the selected start-ups represent innovations at various stages of development—from early research (Technology Readiness Levels 3–4) to near-commercial solutions (TRL 8–9). These ventures will be mentored and supported under the Bharat Innovates programme before being introduced to global stakeholders later this year.
Bharat Innovates 2026 is an initiative of the Ministry of Education, with strategic guidance from the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser. It focuses on identifying and nurturing around 100 high-potential, research-backed innovations emerging from higher education institutions and centrally funded technical institutes.
By convening key players across academia, government and industry, the IIT Bombay pre-summit is expected to play a crucial role in shaping India’s deep-tech narrative—bridging the gap between lab research and market-ready innovation, and preparing Indian start-ups for global visibility.
With the international showcase in France on the horizon, the event signals a concerted effort to position India not just as a start-up hub but also as a leader in cutting-edge, research-driven technologies.