The IIMA Ventures Summit 2026 concluded its first day at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad with a full schedule of panel discussions and keynotes focused on deep tech, sustainability, financial inclusion, and the future of India’s innovation ecosystem, drawing a footfall of over 900 founders, investors, policymakers, academics, and students from across the country.

Delivering the keynote address, Dr Jitendra Singh, Honourable Minister of Science & Technology Government of India, highlighted India’s transition over the past decade from being a technology adopter to a technology leader. He emphasised that the next phase of India’s growth will be driven by deep-tech-led innovation, supported by strong institutions, sound management practices, and the effective translation of academic research into real-world impact.

The Honourable Minister also inaugurated the NIDHI-Centre of Excellence for innovation and entrepreneurship at IIMA Ventures. The CoE provides support to build world-class incubation infrastructure spanning 57000 square feet space and translate academic research into real-world entrepreneurial impact.

The Summit also saw strong participation from 200+ IIMA alumni founders and investors, reinforcing the role of alumni-led capital, mentorship, and market access in strengthening India’s startup pipeline. Day 1 featured panels and workshops on deeptech entrepreneurship, responsible AI, sustainable energy, social impact, healthcare innovation, and investment strategy. Notable sessions included How to Catalyse Deeptech Entrepreneurship with Pranit Mehta (GalaxEye) and Shivkumar Kalyanaraman (ANRF); Future-Proofing AI’s Promises with Aniket Doegar (Haqdarshak), Nitin Gupta (Uni Cards), and Raoul Nanavati (Navana.ai); and The Next Prescription: Building Health for a Billion with Dr. Geetha Manjunath (Niramai Health Analytix) and Dr. Abhishek Sen (Butterfly Learnings). Workshops on legal processes, startup realities, and digital financial frauds complemented the panels, while a fireside discussion on Building a Consequential Company: The Enterprise AI Playbook with Raj Neervannan (AlphaSense) and Priyanka Chopra (IIMA Ventures) provided actionable insights for founders on scaling technology-driven ventures.

Priyanka Chopra, CEO and Managing Partner, IIMA Ventures, said, “India’s best startups will not come from incremental ideas. They will come from deep science, bold founders, and ecosystems that are designed to take real risk. At IIMA Ventures, we exist to transform technology into consequential companies.”

Day 1 saw the presentation of new research on digital financial frauds by Aapti Institute and DeepStrat, which examined emerging risks in India’s rapidly expanding digital financial ecosystem. Drawing on FIRs and cybercrime helpline data, the studies highlighted gaps in consumer awareness, grievance redressal, and real-time protections, underscoring the need for stronger, coordinated action by regulators, platforms, and financial institutions. Complementing these discussions, the Honourable Minister also toured the exhibition area and interacted with over 30 deep-tech startups, including PierSight, Deep Terrain, and Orbitt Space, viewing live demonstrations of their products and innovations.

The first day of the Summit set the tone for substantive dialogue at the intersection of technology, capital, and institutions. The Summit continues on Day 2 with discussions on AI governance, energy transitions, healthcare innovation, platform work, and enterprise AI, further advancing conversations shaping India’s startup and innovation ecosystem.

About IIMA Ventures

IIMA Ventures is the birthplace of India’s most consequential companies. It derisks the hardest 0-1 stages of startups building in deep tech, sustainability and digitalisation.

In its 18+ years history, IIMA Ventures has coached over 25000 founders, accelerated over 2800 startups, provided catalytic capital to over 700 companies, and inspired over two million people with its 400+ publications. It has also incubated 30+ incubators and four VC funds. Startups supported by IIMA Ventures have raised more than $3bn in follow-on capital. Some of the supported startups include ideaForge, Razorpay, Agnikul, Chara, Fourth Partner, Zouk among many other game-changing companies.

IIMA Ventures has been a pioneer on multiple fronts including India’s first accelerator - iAccelerator, India’s largest idea scouting competition - The Power of Ideas, India’s first climate fund - INFUSE Ventures, India’s biggest platform for inclusive fintechs - Bharat Inclusion Initiative, India’s first entrepreneurship bestseller - Stay Hungry Stay Foolish and many more.

 

IIMA Ventures is recognised as a Centre of Excellence by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.

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