Inaugurated jointly by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron, Bharat Innovates 2026 — held in Nice, France this week — brought together over 120 Indian deep-tech startups and several of India’s leading academic institutions to pitch, partner and sign deals with global investors, corporates and research organisations.
Here is what came out of it.
EON Space Labs takes its 2026 roadmap to France
Hyderabad-based EON Space Labs was among the 120 Indian startups selected to participate, showcasing its AI-enabled electro-optical and infrared imaging systems developed entirely in India. At Nice, the company presented its EO/IR payloads for drones and UAVs, intelligent ground-based surveillance and tracking systems, and compact space and satellite imaging systems. The startup recently also developed a Germanium-Free Thermal Imaging System aimed at advancing supply-chain-resilient indigenous EO/IR capabilities.
The company’s 2026 roadmap is dense: field trials of an iDEX-backed handheld thermal imaging system for the Indian Navy are expected to wrap up by end-June; a high-altitude balloon-based imaging test at approximately 25–30 km altitude is planned for July; and a SpaceX-linked mission window is targeted for around September–October. EON Space Labs is also exploring railway wildlife-detection applications, including an elephant-detection pilot on tracks in Odisha, aircraft landing and runway monitoring, and camel-detection use cases for rail systems in the UAE.
BII’s Pankaj Makkar: India’s deep-tech moment is here
Bertelsmann India Investments Managing Director Pankaj Makkar participated at Bharat Innovates as Chairman of the Core Advisory Committee, alongside investors including Anjali Bansal of Avaana Capital, Rajan Anandan of Peak XV Partners, Gaurav Deepak of Avendus Capital and Prashanth Prakash of Accel. Speaking at the panel discussion ‘Fireside Reflections: Two Days of Deep-Tech at Bharat Innovates’, he said India’s deep-tech investment has reached approximately $1.5 billion this year — and that the opportunity is real.
“India’s deep tech moment is here. The ambition, the intelligence, it’s all there. The question is how we put the jigsaw together,” he said. He called for stronger bridges between academia, corporates, entrepreneurs and capital providers, and drew a comparison with China’s earlier deep-tech growth cycle, noting that India now has the opportunity to build similar long-term momentum over the next decade.
IIT Madras signs MoUs with $100 million potential
IIT Madras and IITM Global signed seven commercial and two institutional MoUs at Bharat Innovates 2026, which the institution said could generate nearly $100 million in economic value. The commercial agreements focus on connecting Indian deep-tech startups with international partners, particularly in France and other European markets. Among them: a partnership with Agna Capital to jointly establish the ‘Bharat Innovates Fund’ for high-potential deep-tech startups, and a collaboration with SouthwestX to help Indian startups expand into Germany and France.
Technologies showcased by IIT Madras included Hyperloop transportation systems, 5G and 6G communications, port automation solutions, lab-grown diamond technology, and indigenous AI systems.
IIT ISM Dhanbad and TEXMiN forge mining innovation partnerships
IIT (ISM) Dhanbad and TEXMiN signed two MoUs with French institutions IFP Energies Nouvelles (IFPEN) and École Centrale de Nantes, in the presence of Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Principal Scientific Adviser Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood. The agreements cover joint research, student and faculty exchanges, and technology development across energy transition, sustainable mining, critical minerals and digital technologies.
Technologies demonstrated included the Virtual Reality Mine Simulator, AQ-AIMS — an AI-powered air quality intelligence platform — and the Immersive HoloXperience Platform for digital mine optimisation. The event also enabled discussions with Hexagon and Dassault Systèmes.
IIT Bhilai signs dual degree pact with France’s IMT Nord Europe
IIT Bhilai and Institut Mines-Télécom Nord Europe (IMT Nord Europe) formalised a dual degree agreement at Bharat Innovates, building on an initial cooperation pact signed in July 2025. The arrangement allows students from both institutions to pursue studies at the other, earning degrees recognised by both.
