Dharmendra Pradhan unveils Bharat Innovates documents ahead of India-France innovation summit

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday released two strategic documents on Bharat Innovates, showcasing India's emerging innovation and startup ecosystem rooted in higher education and research institutions. The documents were released ahead of Bharat Innovates 2026, to be held in Nice, France, from June 14-16 under the aegis of the India-France Year of Innovation.

Speaking on the occasion, Pradhan said that one of the core objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is to transform India from a system of knowledge consumption to a system of knowledge creation and innovation. He noted that the startups featured in the Bharat Innovates Strategic Documents are emerging from India's premier institutions, incubators and research ecosystems, reflecting the growing innovation capacity of the country's higher education sector.

"Bharat Innovates reflects the vision articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take India's innovation capabilities to the global stage," Pradhan said, adding that the initiative is aligned with the PM's larger mission of building an innovation-led Viksit Bharat. The minister said that Bharat Innovates is creating opportunities for Indian startups to engage with global investment firms managing over USD 3 trillion in assets and representing more than 12,000 investments worldwide.

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Noting that the event is expected to bring together more than 100 global investors and leading institutions, Pradhan said the initiative has already generated significant investor interest, with nearly USD 20 million in near-closure and finalised commitments. He mentioned that roadshows have been held in Paris, Tokyo and Bengaluru to connect Indian startups with global investors and strengthen international engagement. Additionally, Pradhan stated that IITs, IISc, BITS Pilani and other leading institutions would showcase key research and innovation projects under Bharat Innovates.

Bharat Innovates is creating structured pathways for international engagement through the Incubator Innovation Bridge and the Industry Innovation Bridge, connecting Indian innovators with global institutions, corporates and innovation ecosystems, he said. Pradhan informed that 28 innovation-focused MoUs have been identified for signing with French and other international partners. Principal Scientific Adviser Ajay Kumar Sood, who was also present at the occasion, highlighted that the Ministry of Education has an important role in accelerating the deep-tech startup ecosystem by strengthening the pipeline of research-led startups emerging from academic and research institutions. Sood further mentioned that India must build not only deep-tech companies but also a deeper culture of deep-tech innovation.

The two strategic documents released on the occasion comprise the Bharat Innovates Startup Compendium, which profiles 120 high-potential startups selected from across the country. The documents provide sector-wise market intelligence, technology trends, global opportunity mapping and strategic engagement pathways to help startups identify future growth opportunities, the statement said. One of the documents showcases nearly 50 cutting-edge research and innovation projects from leading higher education and research institutions, including IITs, IISc and other premier institutions.

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"Under the aegis of the India-France Year of Innovation, the Union Ministry of Education is hosting Bharat Innovates 2026 in Nice, France, from 14-16 June 2026. The event brings together 120 elite Deep Tech innovators, selected from over 3,000 ventures, highlighting India's research capabilities across critical sectors like space, defence, biotechnology, and quantum computing," the statement said.

"A cornerstone of this event is the participation of 15 premier Higher Education Institutions like IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, and IIT Madras. The cohort holds over 1,500 patents and has collectively raised more than US$1.5 billion, and includes two listed firms, ideaForge and Ather Energy," it added.

Among those present on the occasion were Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India Ajay Kumar Sood, Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, Department of Higher Education Vineet Joshi, Mission Director of the Atal Innovation Mission at NITI Aayog Deepak Bagla, Joint Secretary (Technical Education) in the Ministry of Education Saumya Gupta, and other senior ministry officials.