Mumbai, March 23 -- Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday said that the Bharat Innovates initiative will soon be developed into a structured institutional mechanism, underlining the government's long-term commitment to strengthening India's innovation ecosystem. He was addressing the concluding session of the Bharat Innovates Deep-Tech Pre-Summit held at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay. Highlighting the importance of the initiative, Pradhan said Bharat Innovates reflects India's emergence as a global innovation hub. He noted that the platform has brought together startups, researchers, investors and policymakers, creating opportunities for collaboration and growth. Around 175 investors and industry leaders participated in a roundtable chaired by the minister on the sidelines of the event. Pradhan also visited exhibition stalls and interacted with innovators working in sectors such as energy, climate and sustainability, semiconductors, space and defence, healthcare, biotechnology, mobility and smart cities, and advanced computing. He said, "The pre-summit served as a precursor to Bharat Innovates 2026, which will be held in France, and focused on strengthening industry-academia partnerships and promoting deep-tech innovation. There is a need for sustained investment in emerging ventures to help them scale up and bring research-driven ideas to the market." Pradhan added that the initiative aims to take research and development-driven innovations from across India to the global stage. He said this would help showcase new technologies, attract investment, and build international partnerships. Pradhan also said India is well placed to develop affordable and scalable solutions for itself and also for other countries, especially in the Global South....