Bharat Innovates 2026, the Government of India’s flagship international innovation summit, concluded in Nice, France, after three days of technology showcases, investor engagements, business meetings and institutional collaborations, further cementing India’s position as a global hub for deep-tech innovation and entrepreneurship.
Addressing the valedictory session on Tuesday, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, described the inaugural edition of Bharat Innovates as a landmark initiative that highlighted the strength of India’s higher education ecosystem in fostering research-driven innovation and entrepreneurship.
Referring to the India-France Year of Innovation 2026, Goyal said the initiative reflected the shared vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron and had the potential to evolve into a transformative platform for future cooperation. Encouraging innovators, researchers and students to think globally, he said, “The world is your stage.”
Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood outlined the key outcomes of the summit, stating that Bharat Innovates demonstrated the power of collaboration among government, academia, industry, investors and international partners. He said the conclusion of the summit marked the beginning of a larger journey to accelerate Indian innovation on the global stage.
Organised by the Ministry of Education under the Government of India’s Bharat Innovates initiative, the summit aimed to connect innovations emerging from India’s higher education, research and startup ecosystem with global investors, corporations, research institutions and markets.
The event showcased 120 curated Indian deep-tech startups and around 45 technology projects from 15 premier Indian higher education institutions. Nearly 60 per cent of participating startups were incubated in or closely associated with IITs, IISc and other leading institutions.
According to the ministry, the summit attracted more than 2,000 participants from 29 countries, including over 500 French investors, corporate leaders, researchers, innovators and institutional representatives.
Over the course of three days, the event facilitated more than 1,350 business-to-business meetings and resulted in over 50 collaboration agreements spanning industry, academia, research and incubation.
More than 80 startups pitched their ideas before over 50 global investors from more than 10 countries, while over 40 startups secured confirmed investor follow-up commitments.
The summit also generated approximately USD 254.5 million in funding commitments and advanced-stage investments from investors, including those from the United States and Japan.
Several participating startups received confirmed orders and expressions of interest from French and other international buyers, opening new opportunities for commercial partnerships, customer acquisition and entry into global markets.
The final day featured discussions on technology parks, accelerators, industrial decarbonisation and global business expansion, along with a keynote address by Nothing Co-Founder Akis Evangelidis on entrepreneurship, product development and international growth.
Throughout the summit, discussions covered a wide range of sectors including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, biotechnology, MedTech, space, defence and dual-use technologies, advanced manufacturing, energy, climate technology and global deep-tech investments. Investor pitch sessions, startup masterclasses, technology demonstrations and curated networking meetings enabled direct engagement between innovators and venture capital firms, corporations, universities and research institutions.
According to the ministry, the event strengthened India-France institutional partnerships, creating new avenues for joint research, startup acceleration, talent exchange, technology commercialisation and market access. Building on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision that innovation represents the next chapter of human civilisation, Bharat Innovates 2026 advanced the objectives of the India-France Year of Innovation and laid the foundation for long-term collaboration in frontier technologies.
