Senior jurist Harish Salve said India is emerging as a global deep-tech hub during the Bharat Innovates 2026 programme at the G7 Summit in France.
The initiative marks a strategic effort to integrate Indian technology startups into the global ecosystem, leveraging a partnership between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron.
During the event, Prime Minister Modi said innovation is embedded in India's DNA and that "AI for all will drive our growth" [3]. The programme aims to connect deep-tech startups with international markets to foster strategic collaboration on artificial intelligence, and advanced technology [5].
Salve said that while some deals resulting from the Bharat Innovates programme may not be worth multi-billion dollars, they serve as the "building blocks for the future of India" [2]. He said there is growing synergy between the two nations in the technology sector.
Principal Scientific Advisor Ajay Kumar Sood said Bharat Innovates 2026 aims to connect Indian deep-tech startups with the global ecosystem [5]. This push comes as India's innovation ecosystem has gained respect in Silicon Valley over the past five years [6].
While some reports suggest Bharat Innovates will become an annual event [2], other documentation focuses on its current role in showcasing deep-tech startups [5]. The programme serves as a platform for India to demonstrate its capacity for high-end technical research, and commercial application on a global stage.
“"Innovation is embedded in India's DNA. AI for all will drive our growth."”
The Bharat Innovates 2026 initiative represents a shift in India's economic strategy, moving from service-based IT exports toward the ownership of intellectual property in deep-tech. By aligning this push with the G7 Summit and French diplomatic ties, India is attempting to validate its startup ecosystem among the world's most powerful economies and secure the foreign investment necessary to scale AI and advanced hardware.
