May 11: As India accelerates into its next wave of innovation, with over 55,200 startups recognised in FY 2025–26, marking more than 50% year-on-year growth, and DeepTech funding rising 37% to $2.3 billion, TiE Delhi-NCR, one of the most dynamic chapter of the global TiE Network, will convene India Innovation Day (iDay) 2026 on Friday, 15 May 2026, at The Leela Ambience, Gurugram.
Themed ‘Audacity of Now’, the 15th edition of the platform, formerly known as India Internet Day, marks a decisive evolution, reflecting India’s shift from being internet-first to being innovation-first. The full-day summit will bring together over 1,000 founders, investors, corporate leaders, policymakers, technologists, and ecosystem enablers for high-stakes conversations on AI, DeepTech, D2C, biotech, space, quantum computing, and Bharat-led innovation, the sectors shaping India’s path to a $10 trillion economy.
The event will feature keynotes and sessions from leading voices shaping India’s innovation landscape, including Pragya Misra (Head of Strategy & Global Affairs, India, OpenAI); Ankur Warikoo (Founder, WebVeda); Sunil Kant Munjal (Chairman, Hero Enterprise); Dr. Vivek Raghavan (Co-Founder, Sarvam AI); Dr. Aseem Chauhan (Chancellor, Amity Education Group); Sudhir Sethi (Founder & Chairman, Chiratae Ventures); Deep Kalra (Founder & Chairman, MakeMyTrip); Harsh Mani Tripathi (Co-Founder, Stage); Vipul Singh (Co-Founder & CEO, Aereo); Mohit Malik (CTO, Chaayos); Dr. Rahul Purwar (Founder, ImmunoACT); Arjun Vaidya (Co-Founder, V3 Ventures), and more, among others.
A key focus of the summit will be India’s emerging leadership in artificial intelligence, with conversations around indigenous AI infrastructure, language models, and building globally competitive AI-native companies. The agenda will also spotlight DeepTech, strategic technology missions, sovereign capabilities, and the role of public-private collaboration in advancing frontier innovation, alongside discussions on AI-led decision-making, scaling enduring and consumer-first businesses, and breakthroughs in biotechnology and healthcare.
Speaking on the vision behind the platform, Upasana Sharma, Executive Director, TiE Delhi-NCR, said,
“India’s innovation story has moved from promise to performance. iDay 2026 is about bringing the right people into the same room at the right moment, where capital finds conviction, technology finds market, and founders find their next chapter. ‘Audacity of Now’ is not just a theme; it is a call to action.”
A signature feature of iDay, TiE The Knot returns for its 14th season, an investment arena where founders pitch live to active investors with real investment intent on the spot. Over 13 seasons, TiE The Knot has seen 69 startups pitch, 31 funded, and over ₹110 Crores committed. Season 14 targets startups actively raising between ₹3–8 Crore.
The event will also host curated, closed-door networking formats, including an invite-only investor breakfast and a growth-stage networking lunch, bringing together leading venture funds and high-potential founders for focused capital and scaling conversations.
iDay 2026 has also introduced Future Frames, a curated AI film festival showcasing the next generation of AI-driven storytelling. Filmmakers, students, and technologists are invited to submit short-format films highlighting innovation across tools such as Firefly, Whisk, ElevenLabs, and Morphic, for a chance to be featured on India’s leading innovation platform.
With participation from across the startup, investment, and policy ecosystem, India Innovation Day 2026 is expected to serve as a key platform for shaping conversations around India’s next phase of innovation. As the ecosystem matures and scales, forums such as iDay continue to play a critical role in connecting capital, capability, and conviction across stakeholders.
India Innovation Day 2026 is supported by a strong partner ecosystem, including Aivar Tech (Silver Partner), Shadowfax (Velocity Partner), Kalaari Capital (Investor Partner), BIRAC (Associate Partner), STPI (Co-Partner), Redington (Associate Partner), MG Motor (Associate Partner), Stage (Entertainment Partner), Neolook (Associate Partner), Client Associates (Session Partner), Intellemo (Associate Partner), and Tally (Associate Partners), alongside a wider network of ecosystem collaborators spanning venture capital, innovation, and technology.
