ISRO to showcase emerging tech at ESTIC 2026 conclave in New Delhi

ISRO will present its latest homegrown capabilities at the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) 2026, scheduled to take place in New Delhi from 27 to 29 October.

Speaking to the media in Bengaluru, Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman Dr V Narayanan announced that the three-day gathering will bring together scientific institutions, Union ministries, university researchers and domestic industry. The objective is to synchronise the country's research and development apparatus with the long-term national goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047.

Organised under the guidance of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, the conclave adopts a coordinated, whole-of-government model spanning 12 scientific ministries and departments. The programme includes 12 thematic sessions addressing critical and strategic disciplines.

Propulsion expertise behind India's space missions

Narayanan, who took charge as ISRO Chairman, Secretary of the Department of Space and Chairman of the Space Commission on 13 January 2025, has spent four decades advancing the country's rocketry capabilities. Before his appointment to head the agency, he served for seven years as director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC).

A rocket propulsion specialist with a master's degree in cryogenic engineering and a doctorate in aerospace engineering from IIT Kharagpur, Narayanan played a central role in developing India's indigenous cryogenic propulsion technology. When overseas supply restrictions blocked the acquisition of foreign cryogenic engines, domestic development delivered the Cryogenic Upper Stage for the GSLV Mk-II, followed by the C25 cryogenic stage that powers the heavy-lift LVM3.

Those domestic systems have formed the backbone of India's flagship space missions, including the Chandrayaan-3 lunar landing. Narayanan also chaired the National Level Human Rated Certification Board for Gaganyaan, the country's upcoming crewed orbital mission.

Dedicated push on semiconductors and defence hardware

Alongside space exploration, ESTIC 2026 will focus heavily on microelectronics and strategic hardware. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is coordinating a dedicated track on semiconductors and next-generation chips, reflecting the government's drive to secure domestic component supply chains.

Addressing the sector's trajectory earlier this month, DRDO Director General for Technology Management Anupam Sharma projected that the domestic semiconductor business segment could grow to $200 billion by 2035, pointing out that modern defence systems rely fundamentally on secure microchips.

The microelectronics track will feature a keynote address from Micron India Managing Director Anand Ramamoorthy, with contributions from IIT Madras Director Prof V Kamakoti, Bharat Semi Chief Executive Vrinda Kapoor and Netrasemi Chief Executive Jyothis Indirabhai. A technical panel moderated by DRDO Director General B K Das will bring together specialists from Qualcomm, Tata Semiconductor, Bharat Electronics Ltd, Anant Systems and BITS Pilani to chart domestic manufacturing milestones for 2030 and 2035.