The Indian Institute of Technology Ropar has announced the launch of “100 Start-Ups 100 Days,” a national deep-tech acceleration programme officially designated as a Pre-Summit Event for the India AI Impact Summit 2026.
Scheduled for 16 December at the IIT Ropar campus, the programme will convene early-stage start-ups from across the country for an intensive day of mentoring, technology access, and innovation-driven support. The initiative was formally launched by Shrikant M. Vaidya, Former CMD of Indian Oil Corporation Limited, who served as Chief Guest; Adil Zainulbhai, Chairman of the Capacity Building Commission and the Board of Governors, IIT Ropar; and Prof. Rajeev Ahuja, Director of IIT Ropar.
The India AI Impact Summit 2026—announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the France AI Action Summit—will take place on 19–20 February 2026 in New Delhi. As the first global artificial intelligence summit hosted in the Global South, it represents a major milestone in India’s growing leadership in digital transformation, AI governance, and responsible technology development.
By hosting “100 Start-Ups 100 Days” as an official pre-summit initiative, IIT Ropar aims to directly contribute to the country’s national AI vision by strengthening deep-tech innovation pathways, supporting entrepreneurial growth, and nurturing the next generation of technology leaders capable of creating global impact.
The programme is powered by iHub AWaDH, a Technology Innovation Hub supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST); Annam.ai, a Centre of Excellence in AI for Agriculture supported by the Ministry of Education; and the IIT Ropar Technology Business Incubator Foundation (TBIF). The initiative is further backed by a diverse group of partners including the Embassy of Israel in India, Reichman University Runway Incubator, UPES (Uttarakhand), the Centre for Computers and Communication Technology (Sikkim), ACIC GIET University Foundation (Odisha), Krishna Vishwa Vidyapeeth (Maharashtra), IIT Tirupati Navavishkar I-Hub Foundation, HDFC Bank, and Canara Bank.
Speaking about the initiative, Prof. Rajeev Ahuja said the programme will identify and cultivate promising start-ups across emerging deep-tech sectors such as AgriTech, WaterTech, IoT, and Cyber-Physical Systems. He added that more than 30 start-ups and innovators will receive grants and investments on 16 December through GENESIS, DST NM-ICPS, and Startup India.
Dr. Pushpendra P. Singh, Project Director of iHub AWaDH and Annam, highlighted that the collaborative effort by IIT Ropar, iHub AWaDH, Annam, and TBIF has already supported more than 100 start-ups with mentoring, incubation, investment, and accelerator services. The broader mission, he noted, is to build India’s national deep-tech capabilities in alignment with the goals of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Digital India.
By propelling early-stage ventures toward market-ready solutions, the initiative—and its partners including India AI, MeitY Start-up Hub, DST, and the Embassy of Israel in India—aims to accelerate India’s transition to a technology-driven, innovation-led economy.
