Mumbai: The Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) concluded the ICC World Technology Convention 2026 at the Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai, bringing two days of focused deliberation on India’s technology and industrial future to a close. Drawing over 700 industry experts and participants across policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, startups, technology companies and global delegates, the convention examined how emerging technologies are reshaping manufacturing competitiveness, infrastructure, supply chains, defence, energy, water systems and enterprise operations, with a shared view that India’s next phase of growth will be defined by the depth and speed of its technology adoption.
The second day centred on artificial intelligence, smart mobility, manufacturing competitiveness, water sustainability, GCCs and Industry 4.0. On mobility and infrastructure, Abhijeet Sinha, Programme Director, EoDB and NHEV, argued that India’s infrastructure ambitions now extend well beyond its borders. “India is not merely building roads within its borders; outside them, it is defining the economic parameters on which a global paradigm shift will take place. The India-Middle East Corridor announced in 2023 is nothing less than the restoration of a trade architecture that once gave India 23 percent of global GDP. Domestically, the Prime Minister’s 7C vision is now being delivered through the Triple E framework of electric, electronic and efficient highways. When we needed the 30 MHz spectrum for vehicle-to-vehicle communication, cabinet and Ministry of Road Transport approvals came within 30 days, because governance today is evidence-based, not endlessly consultative. The answer to road discipline lies in mandating ADAS across all vehicles and linking it to VEDAS, the Vehicle Electronic Data Analytics System, so that every violation is recorded, retrievable and actionable.”
Dr. Rajeev Singh, Director General, ICC, said, “What this convention reflects is not just the breadth of India’s technology ambition but the urgency behind it. Across every session, every sector and every conversation over these two days, the message has been consistent: technology is no longer a support function, it is the primary driver of industrial competitiveness, policy making and economic growth. ICC is committed to making this convention a globally relevant platform that connects India’s innovation ecosystem with the world, brings the right stakeholders into the same room, and ensures that the ideas discussed here translate into partnerships, policies and outcomes that matter.”
The convention drew a broad cross-section of leadership across policy, industry and academia. Key participants on day two included Amitabh Ray, Chair, ICC National Expert Committee on Technology; Aankur Patni, Vice-Chairman at ION Exchange India Limited; Aman Kirloskar, Director, Kirloskar Pneumatics; H.E. Adolfo García Estrada, Consul General of Mexico in Mumbai; and Rahul Sahai, Chairman, Jammu Chapter, ICC, among other policymakers, technologists and global industry representatives.
The first day set the broader context, with discussions spanning energy and greentech, Mining 5.0, defence and aerospace, agritech, medtech, fintech, cybersecurity and education technology, alongside dedicated state sessions and B2B meetings. The day also saw ICC sign bilateral MoUs with IIT Bombay and South Korea’s Chungcheongnam-do Economic Promotion Agency (CEPA), strengthening industry-academia linkages and expanding bilateral trade and business collaboration between India and South Korea.
Deepak Bagla, Mission Director, Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, noted that the more significant development in India’s innovation story was not the growing count of startups but the spread of the instinct to innovate reaching students and communities that were never part of this conversation before. Professor Milind Atrey, Deputy Director, IIT Bombay, called for research to move decisively out of laboratories and into products and startups built in closer partnership with industry. Dr. Sasmit Patra, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, made the case for technology-led mining governance, pointing to AI-driven compliance systems, satellite monitoring and digital mine twins as tools the sector must adopt to retain long-term public credibility.
Across both days, speakers underscored the need for stronger collaboration between industry, academia and government to accelerate technology adoption and support innovation-led growth, as India positions itself as a global manufacturing and digital hub through the decade ahead.