The BRICS Bharat Innovates exposition opened at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on September 11, bringing together 37 Indian deep‑tech startups and ventures to present home‑grown technologies alongside the 18th BRICS Summit. The event runs through September 12 and is organised by the Union Ministry of Education in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs.
Purpose and policy context
The exposition forms part of India’s BRICS Chairship agenda for 2026, which is themed “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”. It also supports the BRICS Education Track priority that focuses on enhancing research, innovation and start‑up ecosystems. The gathering is timed with the BRICS Business Forum and the Leaders’ Summit, providing participating ventures with direct access to business and government delegations from BRICS nations.
What participating startups aim to achieve
The 37 ventures on display were selected from the earlier cohort of 120 startups that took part in the initial Bharat Innovates programme in Nice, France, in June. The exposition is intended to act as an international showcase and a matchmaking opportunity where Indian innovators can pursue:
- technology partnerships with corporations and research institutions across BRICS countries;
- investment discussions with international and domestic investors;
- business‑to‑business (B2B) engagements and market linkages to expand abroad.
Matchmaking and facilitation for B2B meetings and investor interactions are being coordinated with industry chambers including FICCI, CII and ASSOCHAM. Senior Indian and international delegates, chief executives, investors and business leaders are expected to visit the pavilion during the two days.
About Bharat Innovates
Bharat Innovates is a national initiative of the Ministry of Education designed to act as a global accelerator for innovations emerging from India’s higher education institutions. The programme aims to build sustained collaborations between Indian startups, universities, laboratories, research parks and international stakeholders such as corporates, incubators, investors and foreign universities.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Event | BRICS Bharat Innovates exposition |
| Venue | Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi |
| Dates | September 11–12, 2026 |
| Number of startups | 37 (selected from 120 in earlier cohort) |
| Organisers | Ministry of Education in coordination with Ministry of External Affairs |
Implications for Indian deep‑tech
For Indian deep‑tech founders, the exposition offers a concentrated environment to test the international appeal of their technologies, seek cross‑border pilot projects and negotiate licensing or investment. Given BRICS member states span large emerging markets, successful linkages could reduce the time and cost of international expansion for participating firms.
However, practical outcomes will depend on follow‑through. A showcase can open doors, but converting meetings into deals requires legal, regulatory and commercial alignment — areas where Indian startups often need support in market entry, intellectual property management and compliance with foreign rules.
By design, the Bharat Innovates programme ties startups to the higher education ecosystem. This can help transfer laboratory discoveries into scalable products, but also highlights the continuing challenge of transitioning academic prototypes into market‑ready offerings. Stronger incubation, clearer commercialisation pathways and sustained investor engagement will be critical if the exposition’s networking opportunities are to translate into long‑term partnerships.
Officials have said the pavilion will be visited by senior leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi, underscoring the political emphasis on showcasing Indian technological capability at the BRICS Summit.
As the two‑day exposition concludes, its success will be measured not simply by stalls and briefings but by the concrete agreements, pilots and funding commitments that emerge in the weeks and months ahead.
