The Department of Science and Technology (DST) organized a curtain-raiser event on October 15, 2026, at Technology Bhawan for the second edition of India's flagship Science, Technology and Innovations Conclave, ESTIC 2026. The event highlighted that Autonomous Systems, Physical AI and Robotics will be one of the 12 thematic areas of the conclave, which aims to bring together Nobel Laureates, international scientists, industry representatives, technology companies, start-ups, entrepreneurs and young researchers.
Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Member of NITI Aayog and Chief Guest, stated that the ESTIC concept originated from the Prime Minister's vision for a forum to unite the science, technology and innovation ecosystem. This year's theme is "Creative minds catalyzing science and empowering technology," focusing on converting scientific innovations into technologies for societal benefit. Prof. Karandikar emphasized that Physical AI represents the next evolution in AI and suggested using the conclave to plan the next edition of the cyber-physical mission.
DST Secretary Prof. Umesh Waghmare outlined the practical applications of Autonomous Systems, Physical AI and Robotics in manufacturing, precision agriculture, healthcare and rehabilitation, logistics, infrastructure monitoring and disaster response. He stressed the importance of developing technologies that are reliable, safe, affordable and suited to Indian conditions. Under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems, DST has established 25 Technology Innovation Hubs including TiHAN at IIT Hyderabad, IHFC at IIT Delhi and ARTPARK at IISc Bengaluru, which connect research with engineering and real-world applications.
Prof. Waghmare also referenced the National Quantum Mission as having a similar focus on translating research into practical applications through technology development and entrepreneurship. The event featured a presentation by Ms. A. Dhanlakshmi, Joint Secretary of DST, screening of promotional videos, and soft-launch of the ESTIC 2026 brochure. ESTIC 2026 will be held from October 27-29, 2026, at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi and is being organized by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to strengthen India's science and technology ecosystem in support of Viksit Bharat 2047.