India Mobile Congress 2026’s ASPIRE to Drive DeepTech Innovation, Market Access and Investor Engagement for Startups at 10th Edition
ASPIRE, powered by TCoE India and TiE Delhi-NCR, to bring together 500+ startups and MSMEs, 300+ investors and incubators, and 700+ curated investor meetings
India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026, Asia’s largest digital technology forum will put DeepTech and frontier innovation at the foundation of its startup agenda, with its flagship startup platform ASPIRE, focused on helping emerging companies move from prototypes towards market opportunities, investment and scale. At its landmark 10th edition, IMC will bring together startups, investors, industry leaders and ecosystem enablers, and deliver a unique value centered around DeepTech innovation, market access, investor-startup engagement and guided investor tours. Organised by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), IMC 2026 will be held from 7–10 October at Yashobhoomi Convention Centre, New Delhi.
Powered and supported by Telecom Centres of Excellence India (TCoE India) and TiE Delhi-NCR, ASPIRE is expected to bring together over 500 startups and MSMEs with more than 300 venture capital firms, angel networks, incubators and corporate innovation firms. The programme is also expected to facilitate more than 700 curated one-on-one startup-to-investor meetings.
Launched in 2023, ASPIRE has established itself as a unique and valuable platform for startups, connected founders with investors, industry leaders and policymakers across its earlier editions, translating these connections into tangible funding commitments and helping promising technology ventures move closer to capital, market access and scale.
Ashok Kumar, Dy Director General. Department of Telecommunication said, “India’s next phase of technology growth will depend not only on the strength of our digital infrastructure, but also on our ability to nurture companies that can build globally relevant technologies from India. The Government is committed to creating an enabling environment where innovation, entrepreneurship and investment can reinforce each other. Stronger industry–government collaboration will be particularly important in strategic technology areas, where sustained investment, talent and long-term market opportunities are critical to building enduring capabilities. IMC is helping translate this vision into action by creating a platform where India’s technology ecosystem can connect, collaborate and build the partnerships needed to take innovation to the next stage.”
DeepTech will anchor the ASPIRE programme, with sessions spanning AI, intelligent hardware, connectivity, semiconductors and SpaceTech. Practical masterclasses will also address IP and legal frameworks, with experts from DPIIT and C-DOT, alongside sessions on taking AI-first products from prototype to production.
The programme will also deepen founder access to the investment ecosystem through ASPIRE Live Pitch-15, where 15 shortlisted startups will pitch to an investor panel, culminating in the ASPIRE NextGen Startup Awards across thematic sectors. Dedicated Investor and Mentoring Arenas will provide founders with direct access to investors and experienced industry mentors for funding conversations, strategic guidance and business scaling, while guided Investor Tours and speed-pitching sessions will connect active investors with early-stage innovators.
The wider ASPIRE agenda will bring together prominent voices from across technology, business and investment. Conversations will explore building globally competitive Indian technology companies, enterprise AI, technology leadership and the journey from startup to IPO. Speakers include Alok Bansal, Whole-time Director & CFO, PolicyBazaar/PaisaBazaar; Nicolas Sauvage, President, TDK Ventures; Parminder Singh, CEO, Reliance Enterprise Intelligence; Amit Jain, Co-Founder & CEO, CarDekho Group; and Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder & Group CEO, MakeMyTrip.
IMC 2026 will also host the second edition of Startup World Cup India on 9th October 2026, bringing another global startup platform to the forum. The India winner will advance to the Startup World Cup Grand Finale in San Francisco, where the winner will compete for a US$1 million investment prize.
Ramakrishna P., CEO, India Mobile Congress said, “Over the years, ASPIRE has grown into an important platform for bringing promising startups, young innovators and the wider technology ecosystem together. What began as a platform to showcase emerging ideas has evolved into a more structured ecosystem connecting founders with investors, industry leaders and policymakers. With ASPIRE and our youth challenges, we want to put the sharpest ideas we see at IMC in front of the people who can help take them to market, whether that’s an investor, an enterprise buyer or a policymaker. For our 10th edition, the goal is simple: create more pathways for promising ideas to move from the drawing board to the real world.”
Upasana Sharma, Executive Director, TiE Delhi-NCR, said, “India’s next wave of founders is emerging from campuses and smaller cities, bringing with them ideas that have the potential to shape the businesses of tomorrow. What they need at this stage is not just capital, but early access to the right mentors, customers, networks and market opportunities. At TiE Delhi-NCR, we are proud to partner with IMC to bring these critical elements of the startup ecosystem together on one platform, connecting emerging founders directly with investors and industry leaders.”
The 10th edition of IMC is expected to draw over 1.5 lakh attendees from 100+ countries, feature 300+ exhibitors and partners, and showcase 1,500+ technology use cases spanning connectivity, AI, semiconductors, cybersecurity and satellite communications.
