Can India build artificial intelligence for 1.4 billion people and export it to the world? Can the nation simultaneously establish itself as a global semiconductor manufacturer, a space superpower, and a healthcare innovator within the next decade?
These central questions took center stage as the Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT) at IIT Delhi inaugurated the second edition of FITT Forward 2026 at its New Delhi campus. Running from September 10 to September 11, 2026, the two-day flagship summit gathers tech founders, global investors, academic researchers, and policymakers to turn national deep-tech ambitions into commercial realities.
Expanding the Lens: From Sovereign AI to Semiconductor Manufacturing
Building on the success of the 2025 inaugural edition—which closed with over twenty memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and thirty investor-startup sessions—FITT Forward 2026 significantly expands its domain coverage. While the previous summit concentrated primarily on green-tech, health-tech, and mobility, this year's program addresses:
Sovereign Artificial Intelligence
Semiconductor Design & Advanced Manufacturing
Space Technology & Commercialization
Biotechnology & Healthcare Innovation
Agritech & Sustainable Farming Systems
Sports Technology & Performance Science
Rather than asking whether India can innovate, the 2026 summit addresses a more critical challenge: how India can own, scale, and globally commercialize the critical technologies shaping the next decade.
Highlights from Day One: Panels, Keynotes, and Ecosystem Leadership
The opening morning of the summit featured high-level panel discussions, keynote presentations, and strategic MoUs bridging research with industry deployment.
Key Conversations and Panels
Opening Fireside Chat: Cricket icon and investor Bhuvaneshwar Kumar joined Puneet Gupta to discuss his transition from elite sports to tech investments. Kumar emphasized the untapped potential of performance science and sports technology.
Panel on Sovereign AI ("Can India Build AI for 1.4 Billion, and the World?"): Moderated by Pradeep Gupta (Chairman & MD, CyberMedia Group), the session featured Prof. Mausam (IIT Delhi), Kavita Bhatia (Scientist G & Group Coordinator for AI & Emerging Technologies, MeitY), and Sandeep Aurora (Group Director & Head of Public Policy and Government Affairs, Microsoft India & South Asia). The panel evaluated strategies to transition India's national AI initiatives into globally competitive enterprises.
Deep-Tech Financing & Patient Capital: Experts including S.P. Singh (RDI Fund), Praveen Ganapathy (Dani Family Office), Kunal Bhanot (DS Group Family Office), and Deepak Sharma (India Accelerator)—moderated by Anagh Singh (Singularity AMC)—debated structural mechanisms for delivering long-term funding to deep-tech ventures.
Advanced Manufacturing & Steel ("Can India Build the Technologies That Power the World?"): Moderated by Kiran Deshpande (former CEO, TechM), following opening remarks from Prof. Sunil Jha (Associate Dean R&D, IIT Delhi), panelists Marmik Bhatt (Monk9 Tech), Priya S. Kapur (Sona Comstar), Taranjit Kukal (Cadence Design Systems), Dr. Shailendra Singh (Maruti Suzuki), and Manu Iyer (BlueHills Capital) examined India’s manufacturing footprint in hardware and chips.
Agritech Transformation ("From Farm to Future"): Moderated by Himanshu Rattan (Partner, KPMG India), leaders including Dev P. Goel (Madhu Group & ConQuerent), Krishanu Nandan Gupta (KRAMP India), Lalit Kumar (Fieldking), Prof. B.R. Kamboj (Vice Chancellor, CCSHAU), and Prof. Arun Mohan Sherry (Director, IIM Shillong) outlined strategies to transition Indian agriculture from subsistence to global market competitiveness.
Unicorn Founder Fireside ("How I Built a Unicorn"): Founders Ankit Agrawal (InsuranceDekho), Kapil Bharti (Delhivery), and Sandeep Nailwal (Polygon)—moderated by Rohit Jain (Singhania & Co.)—shared practical playbooks on scaling tech enterprises from early ideas to billion-dollar valuations.
Deep-Tech Keynote & Strategic Alliances
Dr. Anita Gupta (former Scientist G and Head of CEST at the Department of Science and Technology) delivered a keynote tracing the transition of government-funded academic research into global commercialized products.
Day one concluded with two major partnership announcements:
FITT and World of Innovation (WOI): A strategic MoU to accelerate market access and funding for incubated deep-tech startups.
TechnoSport and AIC-IIT Delhi: A joint MoU to build a dedicated SportsTech Accelerator aimed at nurturing sports performance technology in India.
Throughout the afternoon, a five-hour closed-door Demo Day provided curated startups—including enterprises led by women, students, and rural innovators—a direct platform to demonstrate functional products to prospective venture capitalists.
Leadership Perspectives from IIT Delhi and FITT
Leaders from IIT Delhi highlighted the institutional mission driving the summit:
"Sports has taught me a lot in life, especially when I was injured and couldn’t show up to the stadium. I am here today as an investor. There is immense scope for technology in sports, and that is why I chose to start my investment journey here."
— Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Cricket Icon and Investor
"FITT focuses on technology licensing, arms creation, and startups. IIT Delhi creates the infrastructure for young entrepreneurs, offering the right ecosystem, resources, and support to turn practical innovations into successful global ventures."
— Prof. Vivek V. Buwa, DDSP, IIT Delhi
"FITT Forward 2026 is designed to move the conversation from India’s ability to innovate to its ability to own and scale technologies. By bringing founders, investors, industry, and policymakers together, we turn ambition in AI, semiconductors, space, and biotech into actionable partnerships."
— Dr. Nikhil Agarwal, Managing Director, FITT
"The next wave of Indian innovation will emerge at the intersection of research, entrepreneurship, capital, and national priorities. FITT Forward brings these domains together so ideas move seamlessly from laboratory to market."
— Prof. Rangan Banerjee, Director, IIT Delhi
Institutional Track Record and Event Partnerships
As an innovation incubator, FITT has built a track record across the national startup landscape. Leading into FITT Forward 2026, FITT's accomplishments include:
280+ Startups Incubated across deep-tech, healthcare, and engineering sectors.
₹450+ Crore in cumulative startup funding facilitated through network funds and institutional investors.
25 Global Patents Commercialized for industrial and market deployment.
FITT Forward 2026 Supporting Partners
Technology Partner: Microsoft
Global Investment Partner: WOI.India (World of Innovation)
Innovation Partner: HS Foundation
Treasury Partner: IIFL Capital
Legal Partner: Singhania & Co. LLP
Gifting Partner: Indigotex
Looking Ahead to Day Two
The summit continues on September 11, 2026, focusing on space tech commercialization, healthcare and biotechnology advances, institutional deep-tech venture funding, and sports engineering, concluding with the presentation of the FITT Forward Innovation Awards 2026.
