ESTIC-2026 to Open at Bharat Mandapam in October, PM Modi to Inaugurate

The Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC-2026) will be held from 27 to 29 October 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi slated to inaugurate the event. The faculty will include three Nobel laureates — Prof. Joachim Frank, Sir Richard J. Roberts and Prof. Kostya Novoselov — along with several other internationally awarded speakers.

The details were announced by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr Jitendra Singh, at a curtain-raiser event for the conclave.

A single platform for a fragmented ecosystem

Dr Singh said ESTIC was conceived last year as a way to bring the many components of the science and technology ecosystem onto one common platform, instead of holding a series of fragmented events through the year. The conclave, he said, offers researchers, innovators, startups, entrepreneurs, industry and policymakers a chance to interact more closely and build a more integrated ecosystem.

He called for breaking institutional silos and creating stronger links between scientific research, startups, industry, markets and society, so that India's scientific capabilities translate into wider economic and societal gains. The theme of ESTIC-2026 — "Creative Minds, Catalyzing Science, Empowering Technologies" — reflects the role of creativity and imagination in innovation, he added, noting that an enabling ecosystem is needed to turn ideas into outcomes.

Startups shift beyond metros

On India's startup growth, the Minister said the country had around 350–400 startups in 2014, a number that has now crossed 2.3 lakh, making India the world's third-largest startup ecosystem. More than 50–60 per cent of these startups are now emerging from small towns rather than metros, he said, reflecting the widening reach of entrepreneurship. Such ventures, he added, need greater access to experts, entrepreneurs, business leaders and markets to scale up.

Dr Singh said future editions of ESTIC could draw in management and communication institutions more extensively. Management expertise can help startups and prospective entrepreneurs build strategies for market access, while communication expertise can carry scientific achievements to young people and wider sections of society in languages and formats they understand.

He pointed to the National Research Foundation and the ₹1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation Fund as part of the government's efforts to create an enabling ecosystem, and said convergence across ministries and stakeholders can strengthen the journey from research to technology development, entrepreneurship and market applications. He also cited the Deep Ocean Mission, the launch of India's first indigenous research vessel, and achievements in space and biotechnology as signs of the country's expanding scientific capabilities.

Call for continuity and a roadmap

Urging continuity beyond the three-day event, Dr Singh asked the scientific advisory and organising teams to prepare a roadmap with short-term and long-term milestones drawn from the deliberations, so that the experience of one edition feeds into the next and the conclave does not become an isolated annual event. He also called for greater awareness among young innovators about startup registration, patents and other processes, noting that many potential entrepreneurs may have ideas but remain unfamiliar with the procedures needed to take them forward.

On the fast-changing technology landscape, particularly artificial intelligence, the Minister said technology is increasingly a facilitator for young people to create new possibilities rather than merely seek opportunities created by it. ESTIC, he said, should interest every generation and segment of society, especially the youth.

The curtain-raiser was attended by Principal Scientific Adviser Prof. Ajay K. Sood; Dr N. Kalaiselvi, Secretary, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, and Director General, CSIR; Dr Rajesh S. Gokhale, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology; S. Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology; and Dr Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary in the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, along with senior officials and representatives of participating ministries and departments.

Prof. Sood said ESTIC-2026 builds on the success of its inaugural edition, which brought together 13 ministries, leading institutions, industry partners and more than 5,000 delegates. The conclave, he said, embodies a whole-of-government approach and will cover 12 thematic areas.

Dr Kalaiselvi said CSIR has taken up the responsibility of organising ESTIC-2026, with CSIR-NIIST, Thiruvananthapuram, as the nodal laboratory and 13 ministries joining the effort. The event, she said, will strengthen coordination across the science, technology and innovation ecosystem and contribute to the national goal of building Viksit Bharat by 2047.

Organised by CSIR under the guidance of the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, with CSIR-NIIST as the organising partner, ESTIC-2026 will bring together Nobel laureates and global scientific leaders, deep-tech startups, women entrepreneurs, young scientists and researchers, industry leaders and policymakers.