India Science Festival 2026 to focus on AI, space tech, radio astronomy

ISF 2026 is expected to draw participation from over 25,000 students, 1,000 professors and 5,000 professionals from across the country

The seventh edition of the India Science Festival (ISF) 2026 began at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune on Saturday marking the start of two-day national celebration of science, innovation and public engagement.

The first day featured expert talks, panel discussions and interactive sessions on a wide range of themes, including ethical artificial intelligence, space exploration, radio astronomy and emerging technologies. (HT)

Addressing the gathering as guest of honour, Abhay Karandikar, secretary, department of science and technology, highlighted the Government of India’s efforts to strengthen the research ecosystem through structural reforms and national initiatives such as the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) and the Research Development and Innovation Fund (RDIF), aimed at boosting innovation-led growth. He said these festivals help bring together scientists, industry, policymakers, educators and the public.

ISF 2026 is expected to draw participation from over 25,000 students, 1,000 professors and 5,000 professionals from across the country.

The first day featured expert talks, panel discussions and interactive sessions on a wide range of themes, including ethical artificial intelligence, space exploration, radio astronomy and emerging technologies. Nobel Laureate Venki Ramakrishnan, computer scientists Ashish Vaswani and Eshan Chattopadhyay, and Indian astronaut Subhanshu Shukla, are among the prominent speakers participating at the festival.

Varun Aggarwal, co-founder, Foundation for Advancing Science and Technology (FAST India), said, “Focus of this year’s festival is on deep technology and maintaining a healthy balance between science and technology.”

The second day of the festival will feature workshops, quizzes and competitions for students and teachers, organised in collaboration with leading corporate houses and academic institutions. The festival will conclude with a theatre performance “India’s Space Odyssey” narrated by actor Akhilendra Mishra.

K VijayRaghavan, former principal scientific advisor; Ashish Dhawan, co-founder of FAST India; Sheel Kapoor, CEO, FAST India; Maneesha Inamdar, director of STEM, The Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Sunil Bhagwat, director, IISER Pune; Vijay Jerome of Bajaj Auto Ltd; and Ashok Atluri of Zen Technologies also attended the event.