‘We will convert Bharat Innovates into an institutional mechanism’ says edu minister

Highlighting the importance of the initiative, Pradhan said Bharat Innovates reflects India’s emergence as a global innovation hub

Mumbai: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday said that the Bharat Innovates initiative will soon be developed into a structured institutional mechanism, underlining the government’s long-term commitment to strengthening India’s innovation ecosystem. He was addressing the concluding session of the Bharat Innovates Deep-Tech Pre-Summit held at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay.

‘We will convert Bharat Innovates into an institutional mechanism’ says edu minister

Highlighting the importance of the initiative, Pradhan said Bharat Innovates reflects India’s emergence as a global innovation hub. He noted that the platform has brought together startups, researchers, investors and policymakers, creating opportunities for collaboration and growth.

Around 175 investors and industry leaders participated in a roundtable chaired by the minister on the sidelines of the event. Pradhan also visited exhibition stalls and interacted with innovators working in sectors such as energy, climate and sustainability, semiconductors, space and defence, healthcare, biotechnology, mobility and smart cities, and advanced computing.

He said, “The pre-summit served as a precursor to Bharat Innovates 2026, which will be held in France, and focused on strengthening industry-academia partnerships and promoting deep-tech innovation. There is a need for sustained investment in emerging ventures to help them scale up and bring research-driven ideas to the market.”

Pradhan added that the initiative aims to take research and development-driven innovations from across India to the global stage. He said this would help showcase new technologies, attract investment, and build long-term international partnerships.

The event was attended by senior officials including K. Radhakrishnan, chairman board of governance of IIT Bombay, Vineet Joshi, secretary of the higher education department, Abhay Karandikar, secretary department of science and technology, and Shireesh Kedare, director IIT Bombay.

The summit brought together 137 deep-tech startups selected from over 3,000 applications. Startup founders presented innovations in areas such as artificial intelligence, advanced materials, biotechnology and clean technologies. These sessions were attended by investors and industry representatives exploring collaboration and funding opportunities.

Pradhan also said India is well placed to develop affordable and scalable solutions not only for itself but also for other countries, especially in the Global South. He added that innovation must move from laboratories to the market to create real impact.

In his address, Kedare said, “We are planning to build a stronger culture of innovation and startups in areas surrounding the institute.” He said the initiative will go beyond the campus by setting up co-incubation centres in collaboration with institutions such as University of Mumbai, SNDT Women’s University, COEP technological university, Pune and other nearby universities.

The selected startups will now represent India at the Bharat Innovates 2026 global showcase in France, further strengthening the country’s position in technology and entrepreneurship.