The inaugural edition of Bharat Innovates 2026 commenced in Nice, France, with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron jointly inaugurating the event at the Palais des Expositions. Organised by the Government of India through the Ministry of Education, the initiative aims to strengthen innovation-led partnerships between India's deep-tech ecosystem and global academia, industry, investors, and research institutions.
The event showcases India's rapidly expanding innovation landscape through the participation of 120 Indian innovators, more than 15 higher education institutions, and over 500 global stakeholders, including industry leaders, venture capital firms, researchers, and technology entrepreneurs. Innovations across 13 strategic sectors—including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, advanced computing, biotechnology, healthcare, space technology, energy, and advanced manufacturing—are being showcased to foster global collaboration and technology partnerships.
A major highlight of the opening day was the signing of over 30 strategic partnerships, including innovation-focused Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and joint declarations aimed at strengthening research, entrepreneurship, technology commercialisation, and startup collaboration. These include partnerships between Indian higher education institutions and international incubators, agreements with leading global corporations to facilitate technology development and market access, and academic collaborations between Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), and French universities to promote joint research, student exchanges, and talent development.
The event also marked the launch of the India-France ATL Bridge, an initiative of the Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, and La Foundation Dassault Systèmes. The programme will establish the first School Innovation Lab in France based on India's Atal Tinkering Lab model, fostering innovation and collaboration among young students from both countries.
Delivering the inaugural keynote, Shri N. R. Narayana Murthy, Founder of Infosys, highlighted the pivotal role of higher education and research institutions in nurturing value-driven entrepreneurs and technology leaders. He emphasised that enduring technology enterprises are built on strong institutional values, collaborative talent, disciplined innovation, transparent governance, and trust.
The conference featured several high-level discussions on emerging technologies and global innovation ecosystems, including sessions on AI for Global Good, India and Europe: Deep Tech Without Borders, and Global Deep-Tech Capital Corridors. The deliberations focused on responsible artificial intelligence, sovereign AI capabilities, venture financing, cross-border innovation, technology commercialisation, and the development of resilient global technology ecosystems through trusted international partnerships.
By bringing together policymakers, researchers, startups, investors, and industry leaders, Bharat Innovates 2026 has established a new platform for strengthening India–Europe cooperation in deep technology, research, innovation, and entrepreneurship, reinforcing India's position as a leading global innovation hub.
