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New Delhi: TiE Delhi-NCR concluded the 15th edition of India Innovation Day (iDay) 2026 at The Leela Ambience, Gurugram, bringing together more than 1,200 founders, investors, policymakers, corporate leaders, and technologists to discuss the future of India’s innovation economy.

The summit was themed ‘Audacity of Now’ and focused on India’s rapid transformation into an innovation-first economy driven by AI, DeepTech, biotech, quantum computing, space technology, and Bharat-led entrepreneurship.

India’s startup ecosystem continues to witness unprecedented growth, with more than 55,200 startups recognised in FY 2025–26, marking over 50 per cent year-on-year growth. DeepTech investments also surged by 37 per cent to $2.3 billion, reflecting growing investor confidence in frontier technologies.

The summit featured keynote sessions and panel discussions with leading voices from India’s startup and technology ecosystem, including Pragya Misra, Head of Strategy and Global Affairs at India; Ankur Warikoo, Founder of WebVeda; Deep Kalra; and Vivek Raghavan, among others.

Speaking on India’s evolving AI ecosystem, Pragya Misra highlighted the need for founders to build products tailored to India’s diverse consumer base. She said companies must focus on reducing friction, simplifying onboarding, and creating intuitive AI-first experiences to drive mass adoption across regions and demographics.

Discussions throughout the day focused on India’s AI ambitions, indigenous AI infrastructure, language models, public-private collaboration, and the rise of globally competitive AI-native startups. Biotechnology, healthcare innovation, and resilient D2C business models also emerged as major themes.

Geetika Dayal, Director General of TiE Delhi-NCR, said the platform reflected the evolution of India’s startup ecosystem over the last two decades and underlined the growing ambition of Indian founders in building globally relevant businesses.

A major highlight of the summit was the return of ‘TiE The Knot,’ an investment platform where startups pitched live before active investors. The initiative has previously helped fund 31 startups with commitments exceeding Rs 110 crore.

India Innovation Day 2026 was supported by several ecosystem partners, including Shadowfax, Kalaari Capital, STPI, MG Motor, Tally Solutions, and others, further strengthening collaboration across India’s innovation landscape.