Bharat Innovates Deep-Tech Pre-Summit inaugurated at IIT Bombay

The Bharat Innovates Deep-Tech Pre-Summit, a landmark national showcase of India’s most promising deep-technology ventures, was inaugurated today at ASPIRE – IIT Bombay Research Park Foundation on the IIT Bombay campus in Mumbai.

The two-day event was 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), in the presence of senior dignitaries from the Government of India.

The distinguished gathering included Dr. Vineet Joshi, Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education; Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology; Dr. K. Radhakrishnan, Chairperson, Board of Governors, IIT Bombay; and Prof. Shireesh Kedare, Director, IIT Bombay.

Delivering his inaugural address, Chief Guest Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood emphasised the importance of deep-tech innovation to India’s technological leadership and global competitiveness, highlighting the role of academic institutions, research ecosystems, and startups in advancing cutting-edge technologies.

Dr. K. Radhakrishnan, Chairperson, Board of Governors, IIT Bombay, addressed the assembled innovators and founders to work with conviction and national purpose, and invited them to write a new history for India. Further, he called innovators as ambassadors of India and encouraged them to make India proud.

Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, offered a wide-ranging perspective on India’s innovation trajectory and the decisive policy steps underway. He noted that India is now the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world with approximately 2 lakh startups and around 125 unicorns—a remarkable rise from just 24 unicorns in 2017–18. Over 1,000 investors are now active in India and nearly ₹70–80 billion in venture capital has flowed into Indian startups in recent years.

In his welcome address, Prof. Shireesh Kedare, Director, IIT Bombay, described Bharat Innovates as not merely an event but a deep-tech ecosystem that rests on three pillars: the education system, strategic investors and corporate sector for market access and real-world grounding that transforms technology into impact. He noted that more than 3,000 startup applications were received from across the country, from which 137 of India’s most promising deep-tech startups were selected throu(UPDATED ON 21ST MARCH 2026)