More than half of India’s startups now come from small towns, not metros, Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh said on September 10, 2026.
Dr. Jitendra Singh was speaking at the curtain raiser for the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave, or ESTIC 2026, in New Delhi.
India now has more than 2.3 lakh startups, making it the world’s third largest startup ecosystem, Dr. Jitendra Singh said.
The 50% figure, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, reflects the widening reach of entrepreneurship across the country.
ESTIC 2026 will run for three days, from October 27 to 29, 2026, at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
Conceived last year, the conclave was meant to replace many scattered science events with one common platform.
The conclave brings researchers, startups, industry and policymakers onto one platform.
ESTIC 2026 will feature 12 thematic technical sessions, plenary talks, panel discussions and exhibitions. Deep-tech startups will present their work too.
The event will also hold business-to-business and business-to-government meetings, known as B2B and B2G.
A technology exhibition will showcase India’s startup and deep-tech ecosystem, and it opens to the public from the second day.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said science cannot stay with scientists alone. Communication and management skills matter too, and they help startups reach the market.
Management expertise, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, can help startups build market strategies. Communication expertise can take science to young people and wider society.
Future editions of ESTIC could bring in more management and communication institutions.
Principal Scientific Adviser Ajay Kumar Sood said the conclave covers 12 thematic areas. These map to India’s emerging tech opportunities.
The government is using a Whole of Government and Whole of Society approach to speed up science and technology.
What this means for you: If you are building in a small town, ESTIC 2026 puts investors, industry and policymakers in one room this October.
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