ESTIC-2026 set for 27–29 October at Bharat Mandapam; PM to inaugurate, three Nobel laureates on faculty

# What's happening

# Who will speak The announced faculty includes three Nobel laureates: Prof. Joachim Frank, Sir Richard J. Roberts and Prof. Kostya Novoselov. The minister said additional international award-winning speakers will participate, though specific session assignments were not listed in the announcement.

# Purpose and theme Dr. Jitendra Singh describes ESTIC as an integrated platform created to replace a fragmented calendar of separate science-and-technology events. The stated theme for ESTIC-2026 is "Creative Minds, Catalyzing Science, Empowering Technologies." The goal is to promote creativity and imagination alongside an enabling ecosystem so ideas can translate into tangible outcomes.

# Priorities highlighted by the minister Dr. Singh outlined several priorities the conclave will address:

• Breaking institutional silos to connect laboratory research with startups, industry, markets and society.
• Strengthening research-startup-industry links to accelerate technology development and market uptake.
• Bringing management and communication expertise into the science ecosystem to help startups with strategy, market access and public outreach.

# Startups and geographic reach

# Policy and funding context Dr. Singh referenced recent government initiatives intended to support research and innovation, specifically the National Research Foundation and the ₹1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund. He argued convergence across ministries and stakeholders is necessary to move research into technology development, entrepreneurship and market applications.

# Sector mentions and recent national achievements The minister pointed to India's activity in emerging areas, including the Deep Ocean Mission and emphasis on the blue economy. He mentioned the launch of India's first indigenous research vessel as an example of recent progress in mission-oriented science.

# Event outlook and next steps ESTIC was conceived last year as a new approach to convene multiple components of the science and technology ecosystem on a common platform. Dr. Singh said the conclave should produce a roadmap with both short- and long-term milestones and should evolve beyond a stand-alone annual event to create lasting linkages among research, startups, industry, management and communication.

# What this means for attendees Participants can expect high-profile plenaries and opportunities for cross-sector engagement aimed at accelerating commercialization and outreach. The presence of Nobel laureates and international award-winning speakers indicates an emphasis on global scientific perspectives alongside domestic innovation priorities.