TiE Delhi-NCR concluded India Innovation Day 2026 in Gurugram on May 15, bringing together more than 1,200 founders, investors, policymakers, technologists and ecosystem enablers for a full-day summit focused on India’s innovation economy. The event, themed “The Audacity of Now,” highlighted the country’s shift from an internet-first to an innovation-first growth model.

AI adoption focus

A key theme at the event was the need to make artificial intelligence more usable for Indian consumers and businesses. Pragya Misra, head of strategy & global affairs, India, OpenAI, said India cannot be treated as a single market in the AI era. “India cannot be viewed as a single homogeneous market, particularly in the AI era,” she said, adding that scaling in India requires “reducing friction, simplifying onboarding, and creating intuitive, guidance-led product experiences.”

She also said companies that understand India’s diverse micro-markets and changing consumer expectations will be better placed to build scalable, AI-first businesses.

DeepTech and sovereign capabilities

The summit also placed strong stress on DeepTech, indigenous AI infrastructure and sovereign capabilities. Discussions covered foundation models, language models, public-private collaboration and AI-led decision-making, along with innovation across biotech, healthcare and consumer businesses.

Vivek Raghavan, co-founder of Sarvam AI, said India’s AI strategy must move beyond usage and into core capability building. “India’s AI journey must go beyond consumption to building foundational capabilities across models, compute, and applications,” he said. “As AI becomes a strategic technology, sovereign innovation will be critical for countries with global ambitions.”

Startup ecosystem momentum

TiE Delhi-NCR said India had more than 55,200 recognised startups in FY25-26, while DeepTech funding rose 37% to $2.3 billion. The organisation said these trends reflect the country’s transition into a more innovation-led economy.

The event also featured the return of TiE The Knot, now in its 14th season, as an investment platform for growth-stage founders. Over 13 previous seasons, 69 startups have pitched, 31 have been funded and more than ₹110 crore has been committed.

Geetika Dayal, director general, TiE Delhi-NCR, said the event was designed to accelerate scalable and globally relevant innovation. She said iDay 2026 brought together founders, investors, policymakers, scientists and industry leaders to shape conversations around AI, DeepTech and Bharat-led innovation.

The summit also introduced Future Frames, an AI film festival, and hosted curated networking formats for investors and founders.