THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Dhanbad, April 4: The Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad, will host IInvenTiv 2026 on April 6–7, a flagship national R&D fair under the Ministry of Education aimed at transforming research into real-world applications.
Positioned as a high-impact innovation platform, the event seeks to bridge academia, industry, startups, and investors, enabling technology transfer, commercialisation, and adoption in line with national initiatives such as Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India.
The event will showcase over 150 innovations across sectors, including Artificial Intelligence, healthcare, materials science, earth sciences, and semiconductor technology. Participation from 50+ startups and 20+ venture capitalists is expected to create opportunities for funding, mentorship, and scaling.
Leading institutions, including IITs, NITs, IISc Bengaluru, and IISERs, will participate, making it a truly national innovation platform.
Inauguration and key participants
The event will be inaugurated by Jharkhand Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar.
Guests of Honour include Athar Sahab (Zuari Industries Ltd.), Vaishali Nigam Sinha (ReNew Foundation), and Sandeep Kumar (Tata Steel).
Prominent participants include Raghu Panicker (Kaynes SemiCon Pvt. Ltd.) and Dr. Sunil K. Barnwal (IAS), CEO, National Health Authority.
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Centres of Excellence launched
Two externally funded Centres of Excellence will be inaugurated:
- ReNew Centre of Excellence: Focused on supporting coal mining communities and enabling a “coal-to-green” transition.
Vaishali Nigam Sinha said the initiative aims to expand skills and opportunities for mining communities and support sustainable livelihoods. - Wadhwani Innovation Network Centre of Excellence: Focused on critical minerals and advanced technologies, backed by a USD 5 million investment.
Dr. Shirshendu Mukherjee said the centre will strengthen India’s capabilities across the critical minerals value chain.
Prof. Sukumar Mishra of IIT (ISM) highlighted the importance of academia-industry collaboration in enabling livelihood transitions and clean energy participation.
Key highlights of the event
The two-day programme will include:
- MoU signings and seed funding support
- Startup pitching sessions and investor interactions
- Technology demonstration zones
- Academia–industry matchmaking
- High-level roundtable on Research, Development and Innovation (RDI)
- Plenary sessions across AI, semiconductors, healthcare, materials science, and earth sciences
Global linkage through Bharat Innovates 2026
IInvenTiv 2026 will serve as a feeder platform for Bharat Innovates 2026, a global initiative led by the Ministry of Education.
The programme will take 100–120 curated deep-tech startups and leading institutions to Nice, France (June 14–16, 2026), providing pathways for global partnerships, investments, and market access.
The Director of IIT (ISM) Dhanbad said the initiative aims to create a seamless pipeline from innovation to global deployment, positioning India as a global hub for research, technology, and entrepreneurship.