New Delhi, June 5, 2026: The Chamber of Commerce & Industry of India (CCI India) successfully concluded the Bharat Startup Summit 2026, a landmark two-day conclave held on June 3rd and 4th, 2026. The summit brought together the Honourable Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Shrimati Anandiben Patel, Union Cabinet Minister for MSME, Shri Jitan Ram Manjhi, eminent Vice Chancellors, industry leaders, investors, policy makers, founders, Incubation and Accelerators, Member of Parliament, Ambassadors, emerging startups, and other dignitaries — united by a singular mission to accelerate India’s journey toward Viksit Bharat.
As an industry chamber unapologetically focused on Bharat, CCI India does not hesitate to speak its mind, call out what is broken, and champion what is right — loudly and without equivocation. This summit was no exception. Through every panel, every pitch, and every partnership signed, CCI India reaffirmed its commitment to transforming India’s startup ecosystem — not just talking about it, but building it.
India’s startup story is one of extraordinary courage. From fewer than 500 recognised startups a decade ago to over 2.2 lakh DPIIT-registered startups today, India has become the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem. Yet the work is far from over — Tier-2, Tier-3 cities, and rural areas remain underserved, women entrepreneurs continue to face structural barriers, proactive policy, taxation, and access to early-stage capital remains a challenge. The Bharat Startup Summit 2026 was CCI India’s most emphatic answer to these unfinished conversations.
DAY ONE — JUNE 3: POLICY, PANELS, AND PURPOSE
The first day opened with the ceremonial Deep Prajwalan, the National Anthem, an address by Mr Munindra Kumar, Director General, CCI India.
Session 1, chaired by the Honourable Governor Shrimati Anandiben Patel, alongside an assembly of nine distinguished Vice Chancellors. The Honourable Governor stressed the importance of holistic development across the country — particularly in Uttar Pradesh — and urged universities to embed startup culture into their curricula so that students not merely seek jobs, but create them. Vice Chancellors present included Prof. S P Sinha, Sikkim Global Technical University; Prof. Sibaram Khara, Sharda University; Prof. Raj Singh, Bennett University; Prof. Umakant Dash, GIPE; Prof. K M Dixit, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Skill University; Prof. Madan Mohan Goel, Needonomics School of Thought; Prof. Ashok Kumar Nagawat, Delhi Skill & Entrepreneurship University; Prof. Hemant Verma, SGT University, and Dr. Sunil Rai, UPES.
Session 2 on the Bharat Startup Ecosystem featured Mr Ajay Lokhatia, StockGro; Mr Sameer Mathur, Roinet Solutions; Dr Aruna Sharma, Ex-Secretary, Steel, IT, Govt. of India and Mr Ravi Tripathi, Global Head, Ads, Strategy, and Partnerships of Truecaller, who dissected funding gaps and the need to build ecosystems beyond India’s metros.
Session 3 focused on Agriculture & Food Processing — a critical but underrepresented sector — with speakers Mr Chetan Saxena from Infra Glow; Ms Shevani Mittal, founder of Indian Origins; Mr Narinder Jaryal, from Thermo Fisher; Mr Anand Chandra, Executive Director at Arya.ag; and Mr Pankaj Shukla from Infra Glow, advocating for policy-backed investment in agritech and food processing startups.
Session 4 on Artificial Intelligence saw Mr Vivek Kumar, Co-founder of Insight AI; Mr Tarun Jain, founder and CEO of Letzryd; Mr Ronak Samantray, founder and CEO, Takeme2space; and Mr Nikhil Banerjee from Supermoney, discuss how AI can drive India’s economic ambitions responsibly, from healthcare to smart governance.
The day’s final session on Incubators and Accelerators, featured leaders from IIT Kanpur’s SIIC, JNUFI, NSUT-IIF, PSIT, and Sharda Launchpad — making the case for scaling incubation infrastructure to every state university in India. Day One concluded with a Grand Award Ceremony and Gala Dinner.
DAY TWO — JUNE 4: WOMEN, HEALTH, DAIRY, AND THE PITCH
Day Two opened with an address by Prof. (Dr.) K Prathapan, Vice Chancellor of Shri Guru Ram Rai University, before moving into three powerful sectoral panels and the release of a Knowledge Paper on India’s Startup Ecosystem. The Women Entrepreneurship panel — featuring Ms Anshul Priya, business head of Institute of Management Accountants; Ms Meghna Krishna, group CRO of Videoverse; and Ms Manasa Garemella, co-founder of Kindlife — called for moving women-led startups from the margins to the mainstream.
The Healthcare panel, led by Mr Deepak Tuli, Co-founder and CEO of Eka.care, and Ms Upasna Arora, MD of Yashoda group of hospitals, highlighted the opportunity for startups to democratise access to quality healthcare across India. The NDDB panel on India’s dairy sector, led by Mr Sudhir Kumar Singh, President of IDA, explored how technology and cooperative models can transform a sector that sustains over 80 million farming families.
The afternoon’s Elevator Pitching session was the summit’s most electric moment, as entrepreneurs from across the globe presented bold ideas to investors and industry leaders — spanning agritech, healthtech, fintech, edtech, and deep-tech. The summit concluded with a formal MoU Signing ceremony, sealing partnerships that translate dialogue into action.
DIGNITARIES AND CCI INDIA’S COMMITMENT
The participation of Shrimati Anandiben Patel and Union Minister Shri Jitan Ram Manjhi — who has consistently championed MSMEs as the backbone of India’s development and advocates for connecting Indian enterprises to global markets — gave the summit its highest-level policy endorsement. Their presence underscored the Government of India’s conviction that the startup and MSME ecosystems are deeply interconnected pathways to a Viksit Bharat.
Speaking at the summit, Union MSME Minister Shri Jitan Ram Manjhi emphasised the need to strengthen MSMEs across rural and semi-urban India, highlighting their vital role in employment generation and inclusive economic growth. He reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to supporting small enterprises through improved access to opportunities, infrastructure, and funding, while underscoring the importance of MSMEs in realising the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 under the leadership of Hon. PM.
As part of its long-term commitment to strengthening India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, CCI India has set an ambitious target of enabling the emergence of 10 high-growth ventures with unicorn potential over the next two years through its startup and innovation initiatives. Leveraging its extensive capabilities in policy advocacy, business expansion, strategic partnerships with Central and State Governments, investor engagement, and funding facilitation, CCI India continues to provide a comprehensive platform for startups and enterprises to scale, innovate, and create lasting economic impact.
Mr Munindra Kumar, Director General, CCI India, said: “The Bharat Startup Summit 2026 was a statement of convictions — an affirmation of our collective commitment to strengthening India’s innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem. The summit brought together key stakeholders to exchange ideas, forge partnerships, and identify actionable pathways for startup growth. As India advances towards the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji, CCI India remains committed to supporting entrepreneurs, fostering innovation, and creating opportunities that contribute to inclusive and sustainable economic development.”
