Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, 13 September 2026, visited the Bharat Innovates Exposition at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi alongside fellow BRICS leaders, spotlighting India's expanding deep-tech and innovation ecosystem on the global stage. The visit came on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit, which India is hosting under its BRICS Chairship.

Modi's message on Indian innovation

Sharing photographs from the exposition on X, Prime Minister Modi wrote, 'Innovation from India. Solutions for the world! Visited Bharat Innovates with fellow BRICS leaders. Proud of the energy and dedication of our youth.' The remarks underscored the Centre's effort to position India as a launchpad for globally relevant deep-tech solutions emerging from its higher education institutions and startup ecosystem.

Which leaders attended

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and other BRICS heads of state accompanied Modi during the walkthrough. The presence of major global leaders lent high-profile visibility to the 37 Indian deep-tech startups on display — a curated set from the original cohort of 120 ventures that debuted at the maiden Bharat Innovates edition held in Nice, France, from 14 to 16 June 2026.

What the exposition showcases

The two-day BRICS Bharat Innovates (BBI) Exposition, organised by the Ministry of Education in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs, is the second major showcase of India's deep-tech startups this year. It is designed as a global accelerator for innovations emerging from India's higher education ecosystem, aiming to forge long-term collaborations between Indian startups, laboratories, research parks and global stakeholders — including corporates, investors, incubators, universities, and governments.

The exposition aligns with India's BRICS Chairship theme: 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.' Notably, this is the first time a BRICS host has used its summit venue to highlight its own startup cohort at this scale — a deliberate attempt to convert diplomatic visibility into deal flow and institutional partnerships.

Gala dinner and cultural showcase

Later on Saturday evening, PM Modi hosted a gala dinner for BRICS leaders at Bharat Mandapam. Among the dignitaries who arrived were Russian President Putin, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

A specially curated vegan menu formed the centrepiece of the evening, designed to celebrate India's culinary diversity while reflecting principles of sustainability and inclusivity. The dinner was accompanied by a cultural performance titled 'Navarasa — The Universe of Shared Emotions' and a BRICS Symphony called 'One Rhythm, Many Cultures', which brought together musicians from BRICS member and partner nations in a collaborative performance drawing on diverse musical traditions.

What this signals

The Bharat Innovates initiative signals a strategic pivot by the Centre — using multilateral summits not just for diplomatic communiqués but as deal-sourcing platforms for India's innovation economy. With 37 startups showcased to heads of state from the world's fastest-growing economies, the government is clearly betting that proximity to power accelerates cross-border tech partnerships. Whether this translates into tangible investment commitments or remains a showcase exercise will depend on the follow-through in the months after the summit concludes.