BRICS Bharat Innovates Exposition 2026: Education Ministry To Showcase India’s Deep-Tech, Research & Startup Ecosystem

The Union Ministry of Education, in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs, is hosting the Bharat Innovates Exposition 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on September 11 and 12. The exposition is being held alongside the 18th BRICS Summit 2026, scheduled for September 12 and 13 under India's BRICS Chairship.

According to the PIB report, the two-day exposition is aimed at showcasing India's deep-tech capabilities and strengthening collaboration between higher education institutions, research organisations, startups and global industry. It also aligns with one of India's key priorities for the BRICS Education Track, enhancing research, innovation and startup ecosystems.

37 Deep-Tech startups to showcase innovations

The BRICS Bharat Innovates (BBI) Exposition will feature 37 Indian deep-tech startups and ventures selected from the original cohort of 120 startups and ventures that participated in Bharat Innovates 2026 in Nice, France.

The participating ventures are aligned with India's BRICS Chairship theme, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”

The exposition is designed to bring India's higher education-led innovation ecosystem closer to international stakeholders, including corporations, investors, universities, research institutions, incubators, accelerators, governments and overseas alumni.

Focus on research, innovation & startup collaboration

The Bharat Innovates programme of the Ministry of Education seeks to create long-term international partnerships around innovations emerging from India's higher education ecosystem.

The initiative connects startups, higher education institutions (HEIs), laboratories and research parks with global stakeholders. At the BRICS exposition, this ecosystem will be linked with CEOs, investors, business leaders and industry representatives from BRICS member countries.

The exposition is being organised alongside the BRICS Business Forum on September 11, giving participating innovators an opportunity to explore business-to-business engagements, technology partnerships, investment opportunities and access to international markets.

B2B meetings and structured matchmaking are being facilitated in coordination with industry bodies including FICCI, CII and ASSOCHAM.

PM Modi, Education Minister Pralhad Joshi among expected visitors

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi and other BRICS leaders are expected to visit the exposition.

Senior Indian and international delegates associated with the BRICS Leaders' engagements, along with CEOs, investors and senior business leaders from BRICS member countries, are also expected to visit the exhibition on September 11 and 12.

For participating startups and innovators, the platform provides an opportunity to present their technologies to international investors and industry representatives while exploring potential partnerships and market opportunities.

Education Ministers' declaration sets five priority areas

The BBI Exposition also follows a series of education-related engagements organised by India as part of its BRICS Chairship.

The Ministry of Education hosted the 13th BRICS Education Ministers' Meeting on August 7, 2026, and the 3rd BRICS Senior Officials' Meeting on Education on August 5 in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

The Education Ministers' Meeting concluded with the adoption of the 13th BRICS Education Ministers' Declaration, which identified five priority areas for cooperation.

These include:

• Strengthening Early Childhood Care and Education and Foundational Literacy and Numeracy

• Skill Development and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)

• Research, Innovation and Start-up Ecosystems

• Mutual Recognition of Qualifications

• Capacity Building for Academic Leadership and Institutional Development

Bharat Innovates 2026 in France generated $254.5 Million funding commitments

The Delhi exposition builds on the first edition of Bharat Innovates 2026, which was held in Nice, France, from June 14 to 16 under the India-France Year of Innovation 2026.

The maiden edition was jointly inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron. It brought together 120 Indian deep-tech startups and ventures across 13 thematic areas, along with 15 participating institutions, including IITs, IISc, BIRAC and iDEX.

The event attracted more than 2,000 participants from 29 countries and resulted in over 30 collaboration MoUs and partnerships. Indian startups and ventures also received funding commitments worth US$254.5 million following around 1,350 B2B meetings.

The BRICS exposition in New Delhi is intended to build on these international partnerships and expand the global reach of India's innovation ecosystem.

The Bharat Innovates Exposition directly supports the third priority area by creating a platform where research, higher education and entrepreneurship can connect with international investment and industry networks.

With the BRICS summit taking place in New Delhi, the exposition places India's higher education and deep-tech ecosystem at the centre of discussions around research collaboration, innovation and international partnerships.

Published on: Friday, September 11, 2026, 02:19 PM IST