ESTIC 2026: Narendra Modi to open conclave in Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi at 5:30 pm on 27 October 2026, the Prime Minister’s Office said. He will also address the gathering at the opening of the three-day event.

The conclave, scheduled for 27 to 29 October, will cover 12 thematic areas and feature around 150 deep-tech startup stalls, according to the Prime Minister’s Office. Its agenda centres on research priorities, India’s scientific capabilities and the work needed to turn scientific advances into practical applications.

Scientists, researchers, academics, policymakers, industry leaders, startups and international experts are expected to participate, the Prime Minister’s Office said. The Department of Science and Technology (DST) described the event as the second edition of ESTIC and said the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is organising it.

Research priorities and routes to market

The Prime Minister’s Office said discussions would span artificial intelligence, biotechnology, advanced materials, manufacturing, healthcare, energy, climate and ocean sciences. Alongside these sessions, a technology and innovation exhibition will showcase indigenous scientific achievements and emerging technologies.

The exhibition’s approximately 150 deep-tech startup stalls will highlight technological developments and their potential uses across sectors, the Prime Minister’s Office said. Deep-tech businesses work on products or processes rooted in scientific and engineering research.

A new Global Connect Networking Event will bring together more than 300 invited participants from academic institutions, research organisations and industry in India and abroad, according to the Prime Minister’s Office. It is intended to help participants explore international research partnerships, industry-academia collaboration and ways to take innovations from laboratories to markets.

The programme will also use thematic videos, technology demonstrations, documentaries, informational kiosks, and augmented and virtual reality experiences to explain scientific developments and their applications, the Prime Minister’s Office said.

Robotics discussions to draw on innovation hubs

DST’s curtain-raiser at Technology Bhawan on 15 October 2026 focused on Autonomous Systems, Physical AI and Robotics, one of the conclave’s thematic areas. These technologies connect computing and artificial intelligence with machines operating in the physical world.

According to DST’s account of the event, its secretary, Umesh Waghmare, identified potential applications in manufacturing, precision agriculture, healthcare and rehabilitation, logistics, infrastructure monitoring and disaster response. He said the technologies could support safer and more productive applications, while emphasising reliability, safety, affordability and suitability for Indian conditions.

DST said it has established 25 Technology Innovation Hubs under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems. The hubs link research with engineering, experimentation and real-world applications.

The department named TiHAN at IIT Hyderabad, IHFC at IIT Delhi and ARTPARK at IISc Bengaluru among those hubs. Waghmare also pointed to the National Quantum Mission as another programme focused on moving research towards practical applications through technology development and entrepreneurship, according to DST.

NITI Aayog member Abhay Karandikar told the curtain-raiser that the idea for ESTIC came from the Prime Minister’s wish for a forum bringing together the wider science, technology and innovation community, DST said. Karandikar suggested using the conclave to discuss planning for the next edition of the cyber-physical mission. The department’s account presented this as a proposal for discussion, rather than an announcement of a new mission.

Biology sessions will examine research and scale-up

The Department of Biotechnology will lead a dedicated session on systems and synthetic biology, DD News reported in its account of a curtain-raiser hosted by the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in New Delhi.

Systems biology examines how the components of biological systems interact. Synthetic biology involves designing or modifying biological systems for particular applications. DD News identified healthcare, agriculture, industrial biotechnology and sustainable development as areas where these disciplines have potential uses.

At the curtain-raiser, Dhananjay Kumar Tiwary discussed their potential in healthcare, biomanufacturing and biodesign, according to DD News. He also highlighted the role of artificial intelligence in accelerating biological research.

Rajesh S. Gokhale emphasised the need to turn discoveries into practical solutions that can be produced at scale, DD News reported. Using the discovery and large-scale production of penicillin as an example, he argued that scientific breakthroughs achieve wider societal impact when developed into accessible applications.

DD News reported that he called for stronger research, development and scale-up capabilities to help move laboratory discoveries into real-world use.

ISRO session scheduled for the final day

Space Science and Technologies is another thematic area, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said. The Department of Space and ISRO held a curtain-raiser at ISRO headquarters in Bengaluru on 21 October 2026.

ISRO chairman and Department of Space secretary V. Narayanan addressed that programme, alongside officials involved in preparing the thematic session. According to ISRO, Narayanan highlighted the role of space science and emerging technologies in national development and in the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.

The Department of Space and ISRO will organise the Space Science and Technologies thematic session at Bharat Mandapam on 29 October 2026, the final day of the conclave, ISRO said.