Mumbai is gearing up to host ImagiNxt 2026, a new technology festival set to take place on May 22-23 at the Jio World Centre. This event aims to establish a comprehensive platform, connecting India's burgeoning startup ecosystem with policymakers, investors, and global technology leaders.
ImagiNxt 2026 seeks to bridge a perceived gap in the Indian tech landscape by creating a unified forum where technology innovation, regulation, and capital can be discussed in conjunction. Despite the country's rapid startup growth, these elements are often addressed in separate events. The festival is expected to draw over 15,000 participants, including more than 200 speakers and around 1,000 startups. Additionally, approximately 300 investors, enterprise leaders, researchers, and creators are anticipated to attend.
The two-day event will feature over 100 sessions across five parallel tracks. These tracks will cover a range of topics, including digital public infrastructure, enterprise technology, consumer tech, gaming, developer ecosystems, and design. The festival will also host a startup pitch program, providing shortlisted startups the opportunity to present their ideas to juries composed of Indian and international investors. A showcase of grassroots innovations, in partnership with the National Innovation Foundation (NIF), is also planned.
Several international speakers have already been announced, including Cristina Ventura, General Partner at White Star Capital, and Noi Cecilia Oldne, Chief India Representative of the Sweden-India Business Council. Indian speakers include investors Shailesh Lakhani and Dipanjan Basu, as well as founders such as Rohit Chennamaneni, Sanjay Nekkanti, and Sanjeev Sharma. Representatives from institutions like the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), NASSCOM, and NSRCEL at IIM Bangalore are also expected to participate.
ImagiNxt 2026 has partnered with the National Innovation Foundation – India (NIF) to highlight India's grassroots tech innovation ecosystem on a global scale. This collaboration aims to integrate NIF-supported innovators, technologies, and innovation models into the event's programming, exhibitions, and ecosystem dialogues. According to Dr. Vipin Kumar, Chief Scientist at the National Innovation Foundation, this partnership reflects the belief that India can offer a unique tech innovation model to the world, combining advanced technology with affordability, accessibility, and societal relevance.
Deepak Lamba, Founder & CEO of ImaginatioNxt, emphasized that India's innovation story is incomplete without highlighting grassroots innovation. He envisions ImagiNxt as a forum where technology builders, investors, and policymakers can engage on the development, regulation, and scaling of technology systems internationally. The event will also be accessible virtually through livestreams.
