ICAR ESTIC-2026 Curtain-Raiser and Participation Details
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is organizing a curtain-raiser event and media interaction on 15th October 2026 at the ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute (CSSRI) in Karnal, Haryana. This event precedes the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC)-2026, which is scheduled to be held from 27 to 29 October 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
Dr. M. L. Jat, Secretary of the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General of ICAR, will address the curtain-raiser event and speak on ICAR's role in ESTIC-2026. The program will feature a media interaction focused on Agri-Tech, Food Systems and Nutrition, providing a platform for discussions on emerging developments in these areas.
ICAR's Strategic Role in ESTIC-2026
ICAR holds a significant position in ESTIC-2026, with Dr. Jat serving as a member of the Steering Committee alongside heads of other major scientific and technology departments of the Government of India. ICAR is directly associated with the thematic session on "Agri-Tech, Food Systems and Nutrition," one of the 12 major thematic sessions of the conclave scheduled for 29th October 2026. This session will be co-chaired by the Secretary of DARE and Director General of ICAR, and the Secretary of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI).
The Agri-Tech session will feature a keynote address, presentations by a deep-tech startup CEO, a woman entrepreneur, and science and technology (S&T) leaders, followed by a panel discussion. Several ICAR scientists from ICAR–Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), ICAR–National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, and ICAR–National Rice Research Institute are listed among the speakers at ESTIC-2026. ICAR will showcase innovations in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, digital agriculture, advanced crop improvement, gene editing, and sustainable agricultural systems under the theme "Agri-Tech, Food Systems and Nutrition" at the ESTIC-2026 exhibition.
ESTIC-2026 Overview and Participation
ESTIC-2026 is a flagship platform for science, technology, and innovation organized by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Ministry of Science and Technology, under the guidance of the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, Government of India. The National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST) serves as the Organising Partner for the three-day event, which aims to showcase cutting-edge research, emerging technologies, and deep-tech innovations while fostering collaboration toward the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
The conclave will feature participation from multiple government departments including Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Ministry of Ayush, Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Department of Defence/DRDO, Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Department of Health Research (DHR)/Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Department of Space/ISRO, and Department of Telecommunications (DoT). The event will also include Nobel Laureates, global experts, industry leaders, policymakers, researchers, innovators, deep-tech start-ups, and funding agencies.
ICAR's participation in ESTIC-2026 is positioned to strengthen collaborative efforts toward sustainable and technology-driven agricultural and food systems in alignment with India's national development vision.