India Invites Global Startups to Co-create at Bharat Innovates 2026
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, has officially extended an open invitation to global innovators, investors, and entrepreneurs to co-create future technologies with India at Bharat Innovates 2026 . The three-day conclave, inaugurated on June 14 in Nice, France, brings together 120 top Indian deep-tech startups, over 15 higher education institutions, and more than 500 global investors, VCs, and industry leaders under a single roof .
The initiative is a flagship programme of the India-France Year of Innovation, launched by PM Modi and President Macron in Mumbai earlier in February 2026 .
💡 “An Invitation to Co-create with India”
Standing at the Palais des Expositions de Nice, PM Modi delivered a powerful message to the world’s top venture capitalists and innovators: India is moving beyond being a consumer of technology to becoming a global innovation partner .
“Bharat Innovates is an invitation to the world to create the next chapter of global innovation with India. Innovation becomes great not due to its valuation but due to its human impact.”
— Prime Minister Narendra Modi
📊 India’s Innovation Scale: By the Numbers
Union Minister Piyush Goyal, who inaugurated the event, highlighted the scale of India’s startup revolution amid global geopolitical uncertainty :
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Recognised Startups | Over 2.3 lakh (230,000+) |
| Startups Showcased at Event | 120 deep-tech champions |
| Global Investors Present | 500+ (VCs, CEOs, industry leaders) |
| Focus Sectors | 13 strategic technology areas |
“We are meeting at a moment of uncertainty, when the churn in geopolitics is meeting the churn of frontier technology. At such moments, the world seeks trusted and reliable partners — and that is what India brings to the table.”
— Piyush Goyal, Union Commerce Minister
🔬 What’s Being Showcased
Participating startups and institutions are presenting innovations across 13 critical technology sectors :
- Advanced Computing (AI, Quantum, Supercomputing)
- Semiconductors & Microelectronics
- Space & Defence Technology
- Biotechnology & Healthcare
- Clean Energy & Climate Solutions
- Advanced Manufacturing & Materials
- Next-Gen Communications & 5G/6G
- Blue Economy & Marine Tech
IIT Madras is leading two of these thematic areas — Blue Economy and Next-Generation Communications — while also showcasing 15 incubated startups and breakthrough initiatives like Hyperloop technology and lab-grown diamond innovations .
🎯 What This Means for Indian Startups
Bharat Innovates 2026 is not just an exhibition — it’s a high-impact platform for global market access . The expected outcomes include:
- Investment Facilitation: Direct connections with 500+ global VCs and institutional investors
- Pilot Projects & Manufacturing Partnerships: Pathways to scale innovations internationally
- Technology Transfer & Co-development: Joint R&D opportunities with French and European institutions
- Global Market Access: Breaking into European and other international markets
“To our French partners, I urge you to build meaningful partnerships. I invite our French friends to visit India, invest in India, design in India, innovate in India, and manufacture in India — both for the large domestic market and for export to the rest of the world.”
— Piyush Goyal, Union Commerce Minister
🤝 The India-France Innovation Corridor
The event is a direct outcome of the deepening “Special Global Strategic Partnership” between India and France . French President Emmanuel Macron, who co-inaugurated the conclave, remarked:
“The question was not whether India is innovating, but who will innovate with India. India is advancing rapidly in research, innovation and frontier technologies, and is emerging as a global innovation leader.”
— Emmanuel Macron, President of France
Macron highlighted India’s recent achievements — including the Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission — as powerful demonstrations of the country’s innovation and execution capabilities .
🚀 The Bigger Picture
Bharat Innovates 2026 builds on a decade of India’s transformation into a startup powerhouse. As PM Modi noted, India now has over 200,000 startups contributing to both the national and global economy, with young innovators moving beyond traditional paths to build world-class solutions .
“Bharat Innovates with scale and speed. Bharat Innovates for a sustainable future. And Bharat Innovates for the whole world.”
— Prime Minister Narendra Modi
The event runs through June 16, and will be followed by India having the largest national pavilion at VivaTech 2026 in Paris (June 17-20), further cementing the India-France innovation corridor .
For Indian startups, the message is clear: global expansion is no longer a distant goal but an immediate opportunity. With the government actively facilitating access to capital, markets, and partnerships, the stage is set for India’s deep-tech ventures to go global.
