India Showcases Deep Tech Innovation in France

India, having established a robust startup ecosystem over the past decade, is now focusing on a more challenging and significant endeavor: showcasing its deep-tech capabilities on the global stage.

The Bharat Innovates initiative, spearheaded by the Ministry of Education, is set to present 100–120 of India’s leading deep-tech startups in Nice, France, from June 14 to 16. This event precedes the G7 summit and is expected to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi. Nice was selected due to its proximity to Sophia Antipolis, Europe’s first innovation ecosystem, which hosts approximately 2,400 companies across 2,400 hectares.

During a panel discussion hosted by YourStory’s Shradha Sharma, Armstrong Pame, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Education’s Higher Education Department, Anjali Bansal, Founding Partner of Avaana Capital and a core committee member of Bharat Innovates, and Srinath Ravichandran, Co-founder and CEO of Agnikul Cosmos, discussed the platform’s objectives and importance.

Pame explained that the initiative aims to change India’s image from a consumer to an innovator by showcasing the government’s efforts in fostering a startup ecosystem, particularly those emerging from higher education institutions.

Out of over 1,800 applicants, 1,182 reached the final selection stages. The selection process is led by the Principal Scientific Adviser to the government, along with experts from DST, DBT, and the investment community. The selected startups represent 13 sectors, including critical minerals, semiconductors, AI and computing, green energy, medtech, space, defense, agriculture, food, and biosciences.

Pame noted that the event’s timing was announced by President Macron in Mumbai on February 17, emphasizing the significance of the platform for demonstrating India’s innovation capabilities to the world.

Anjali Bansal highlighted the convergence of supportive policies, capital flow, and talent as key factors driving India’s deep-tech advancement. She cited the ANRF, semiconductor mission, AI mission, global AI summit, and RDI fund as indicators of the government’s commitment, noting that the one lakh crore investment is expected to create a multiplier effect.

However, Bansal also pointed out the need to address the funding gap between early seed rounds and commercial scale in deep tech and stressed the importance of local technology integration into corporate value chains to boost revenue for startups.

Srinath Ravichandran shared his experience of building Agnikul, which created the world’s first 3D-printed single-piece semi-cryogenic rocket engine. He advised deep-tech founders to start without hesitation, citing favorable policies, capital availability, and increasing acceptance.

Ravichandran emphasized the shift from just building technologies to building successful companies and encouraged others to pursue this transition.

Bharat Innovates also aims to spotlight Indian universities, with 15–20 institutions, including IITs, IIMs, and select private universities, participating in the event. MoUs with global universities are expected to be signed.

Shradha Sharma noted the importance of giving Indian universities center stage, highlighting India’s large academic base with 46 million students in higher education and the largest English-speaking student population.

Pame acknowledged that while infrastructure may still be developing, India possesses exceptional human resources.

The event is designed to attract global investors and governments, signaling India’s commitment to grassroots innovation. Anjali noted that this wave is the most meaningful yet, anticipating continued progress and opportunities.

The founders attending the event in Nice are positioned to demonstrate India’s achievements in deep tech, proving that the country is already building substantial capabilities.