image: The ongoing Bharat Innovates 2026 National Basecamp is a showcase of deep-tech innovations that reflect India’s ambition to translate its R&D strength into globally competitive technologies.
Credit: Please credit the Indian Institute of Technology Gadhinagar when using the image
The Bharat Innovates 2026 National Basecamp was formally inaugurated today at the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN), marking a significant milestone in India’s efforts to identify, strengthen, and globally position its most promising deep-tech innovations. The three-day National Basecamp, taking place from December 18 to 20, 2025, brings together approximately 400 shortlisted startups and research-led innovations that have been selected through a rigorous, multi-stage national screening process. The shortlisted startups and innovators are some of India’s brightest and most impactful, with the potential to transform the nation’s innovation ecosystem.
Organised under the aegis of the Ministry of Education and the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India, and coordinated jointly by the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) and IITGN, the event saw attendance from scientific luminaries, founders, business leaders, venture capitalists, investors, and sci-tech enthusiasts. Delivering the welcome address, Prof Amit Prashant, Dean, External Relations, IITGN, welcomed the innovators to the National Basecamp as a convergence point for talent, technology, and opportunity. Outlining the structure and intent of the Bharat Innovates 2026 National Basecamp, Prof Sankalp Pratap, IITB, mentioned how the event serves as a critical evaluation and mentoring stage in the journey towards the International Showcase in 2026. Furthermore, he added, “For entrepreneurship to thrive, there is a need for robust systems with strong policy support, structured investor engagement, and continuous guidance from the relevant authorities of the country.”
Prof Milind Atrey, Deputy Director, IIT Bombay, provided an overview of the broader Bharat Innovates 2026 programme, positioning the initiative within India’s evolving innovation-led economic strategy. “Bharat Innovates represents a collective national effort to ensure that India’s deep scientific capabilities are translated into solutions that are scalable, deployable, and globally competitive,” he said, highlighting the role of academic institutions as anchors of the innovation ecosystem.
Articulating the government’s vision, Prof K N Satyanarayana, Director, IIT Tirupati, highlighted the programme’s alignment with national priorities, including the push to develop a comprehensive research commercialisation ecosystem, expand industry-academia linkages, and develop region-specific solutions. “Encouraging students and faculty-led startups in the deep-tech domain will bridge the persistent gap between research excellence and commercial success. Bharat Innovates aims to fulfil this mandate by building confidence in Indian technologies and spotlighting them on the global stage,” he said. Adding an industry and regulatory perspective, Shri Joseph Joshy, Chief Technology Officer & Chief General Manager, International Financial Services Centre (IFSCA), Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), spoke of how startups can test, refine, and scale their solutions in IFSC at GIFT City, which offers a unique ecosystem with foreign currencies, long-term tax incentives, and regulatory sandboxes. Speaking about the event, he added, “India is a startup nation, with innovation now emerging strongly from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, and it is only fitting that platforms like Bharat Innovates are nurturing the best of this talent.”
Garima Sharma, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Education, underscored India’s readiness to offer indigenous, technology-driven solutions to global challenges. “With around 400 innovations already shortlisted, the Bharat Innovates 2026 National Basecamp provides innovators a powerful opportunity to engage with mentors, venture capitalists, global investors, and industry leaders, helping transform promising ideas into market-ready, commercially viable solutions,” she said. Her remarks struck a forward-looking and optimistic note, reinforcing India’s innovation capacity as a driver of technology-led growth and global problem-solving.
As the Bharat Innovates 2026 National Basecamp unfolds over the next three days, participating innovators will engage in closed-door pitching and evaluation sessions before expert juries comprising leaders from science, industry, investment, and policy. Innovations span 13 strategic technology domains, including Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Computing, Semiconductors, Space and Defence, Energy and Climate Technologies, Healthcare and MedTech, Agri and Food Technologies, Manufacturing and Industry 4.0, Next-Generation Communications, and others.
The event aims to be a platform for meaningful engagement between innovators and key stakeholders across the innovation value chain, including investors, industry partners, policymakers, and research institutions. By bringing together cutting-edge research, entrepreneurial ambition, and institutional support, the National Basecamp reinforces India’s commitment to building a robust, innovation-led economy. The outcomes of this intensive national exercise will shape the final delegation for the International Showcase in 2026, where Indian technologies will take their place on the global stage.