Bengaluru, Nov 21:-The 28th edition of the Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS) 2025 concluded today at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), marking the end of three days of high-impact innovation and global collaboration. A key highlight this year was the Future Makers Conclave, which brought together trailblazers shaping the next decade. Astronaut Group Capt. Shubhanshu Shukla, author and entrepreneur Ankur Warikoo, tennis icon Sania Mirza, Zepto Co-Founder Kaivalya Vohra, cricketer Richa Ghosh, mentalist Suhani Shah, and several other celebrated personalities shared stories that blended creativity, resilience, and leadership. The Conclave also featured a special felicitation ceremony honouring founders of companies that have crossed the billion-dollar milestone, with leaders from Zepto, Rapido, Ather Energy, Jumbotail, Navi, and Bluestone recognised on stage with the traditional Mysuru Peta.

At the Conclave, Minister Priyank Kharge outlined Karnataka’s intensified focus on deep tech and the expanding collaboration between the government and the private sector. He shared that the state has already facilitated ₹786.43 crore in investments for deep-tech startups and recently launched a ₹663-crore Deep Tech Fund. With venture capital firms matching the government’s commitment, the combined corpus has now crossed ₹1,200 crore, with contributions from leading funds such as Capital A, Blue Hill VC, and Axcel Partners. He emphasised that government grants help early-stage startups transition to VC funding and pilot deployment, reiterating Karnataka’s vision of becoming a startup’s “first customer” and noting the state’s rise in global startup rankings from 21st to 8th in just two years.

The recognition of high-growth founders served as a strong reminder of Bengaluru’s role in shaping India’s digital economy, as the Government of Karnataka celebrated the resilience and ambition of leaders who have built transformative companies. Zepto’s rapid acceleration in the quick-commerce sector was highlighted as a standout example of innovation and disciplined execution, symbolising the strength of the city’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and inspiring emerging founders across the country.

The Government of Karnataka and leading VC firms jointly disbursed INR 400 crore at the Future Makers Conclave, marking a major milestone for AI and deep-tech innovation in the state. The initiative aimed to strengthen collaboration between startups and investors and reinforce Karnataka’s leadership in emerging technologies. The government highlighted its focus on accelerating progress through strong public–private partnerships and building a globally competitive ecosystem. The Conclave also announced 143 ELEVATE winners, the largest cohort so far, bringing the total number of funded startups to 1,084, including 390 from Beyond Bengaluru.

The Government of Karnataka and leading VC firms jointly disbursed INR 400 crore at the Future Makers Conclave, marking a significant milestone for AI and deep-tech innovation. Minister Priyank Kharge said the initiative was designed to bring startups and VCs together to create the “future makers of tomorrow,” thanking the VC community for partnering to reshape how the world views India. He reaffirmed the state’s commitment to accelerating progress and building an ecosystem “unmatched in the world.” The Conclave also announced 143 ELEVATE winners, the largest cohort to date, bringing the total number of startups funded under the program to 1,084, including 390 from Beyond Bengaluru.

Themed “Futurise”, the Summit brought together leaders from government, industry, research, and entrepreneurship to imagine, innovate, and build what comes next. Notable figures who addressed or participated in sessions across the three days included Debjani Ghosh (NITI Aayog), Dr. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Dr. V. Narayanan (ISRO), Shri S. Gopalakrishnan (Kris), Chairman, Karnataka Vision Group on IT & Electronics, and Co-Founder, Infosys, Chairman, Axilor Ventures, Shri Prashanth Prakash, Chairperson, Karnataka Vision Group on Startups and Partner, Accel,  Prof. Arindam Ghosh (IISc) among others. The overwhelming response saw enthusiastic participation from diverse backgrounds, including tech professionals, entrepreneurs, government officials, and students.

BTS 2025 recorded exceptional participation with representation from 57 nations, reflecting its global reach. The summit featured 1015 exhibitors and 663 speakers, showcasing cutting-edge ideas and innovations. With over 20,680 delegates, 46,389 registered business visitors, and 92,478 total attendees. BTS 2025 reinforced its position as one of Asia’s most influential technology and innovation gatherings. It also featured 103 knowledge sessions across 10 thematic tracks that supported by strong participation from startups, academic researchers, policy leaders, and global partner missions. Academic institutions and leading research universities joined international delegations to strengthen research–industry collaboration.

This year, Australia joined as the Country Partner, while NRW Global Business (Germany) and Norway featured as Country Focus Partners, Poland as the Bronze Partner, and Italy as the Country Presence Partner. Further strengthening the global footprint of the summit, delegations from leading tech nations participated in the Conference and Exhibition, viz., USA, Cuba, Uruguay, Russia, UK, Israel, Belgium, Finland, France, EU, Dubai, Sharjah, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, and Thailand. On the domestic front, Madhya Pradesh was the State Partner, with Odisha as the Co-State Partner and DPIIT – Startup India as the Startup Partner.

The BTS 2025 Exhibition brought together exhibitors and delegations from 60+ countries across industry, academia, government, and the startup ecosystem. Organised into specialised zones—Electro-Semicon, Biotech & HealthTech, Mobility, Spacetech, Greentech, Telecom, FinTech, Edutech, and Animation & Gaming—the exhibition was further supported by the Startup Pavilion, Corporate & Industry Pavilion, National & State Pavilions, the R&D ‘Lab to Market’ Pavilion, and the Karnataka Showcase. Designed as Asia’s Premier Tech Commerce & Innovation Marketplace, the exhibition translated ideas into scalable opportunities. BTS 2025 also hosted specialized platforms like Investor Connect — enabling startups to engage directly with leading investors and industry leaders — and Mentor Connect, which offered valuable one-on-one mentorship sessions with seasoned domain experts.

BTS 2025 featured comprehensive knowledge tracks across IT & DeepTech, Electronics & Semicon, DigiHealth & Biotech, FinVerse, AI Universe, Frontier Technologies, and Spacetech & Aerospace. Across stages, leaders deliberated on the future of work, AI-driven science, sovereign digital ecosystems, regenerative medicine, semiconductor design maturity, and global financial innovation, reflecting the breadth of India’s rapidly evolving technology landscape.

Bengaluru Tech Summit 2025 concluded as a landmark reflection of India’s innovation landscape, encompassing its founders, institutions, global partners, and collective technological vision. Over three days of in-depth programming, the Summit underscored that the nation’s progress will be shaped not only by advancements in AI, biotechnology, mobility, semiconductors, digital health, and sustainability, but also by strategic collaboration, inclusive growth, and the emergence of next-generation leadership. The breadth of discourse, the scale of participation, and the strength of international engagement affirmed a clear message: India is entering a defining decade of innovation, with Bengaluru continuing to serve as its principal engine and global point of convergence.

Summary of the Day-3 at the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2025;

• STPI IT Export Awards 2024–25: The awards recognised Shri B. V. Naidu with the STPI Commendation Award for his longstanding contribution to Karnataka’s IT/ITES sector, a category he originally conceptualised. Infosys Ltd. received the IT Ratna of Karnataka for exports above ₹15,000 crore, followed by IT Pride honours for Schneider Electric and major IT/ITES leaders, including Accenture, Amazon, Bosch, Dell, IBM, Intel, JPMorgan, Qualcomm, Samsung R&D, SAP Labs, TCS, and VMware. High-growth and regional awards went to Clinisys, Colt, Genpact, Excelsoft, and Glowtouch, while Cyient DLM and Incap were recognised in hardware. Workforce and productivity honours went to NVIDIA, Genpact, Intuit, NXP, and Signify Innovations, with Exhibitor Excellence awards presented to Xogar Studio, Israel Pavilion, Alliance University, Sarus Aerospace, ECIA, ARTPARK, Sharjah RTI Park, IIIT-Bangalore, and the Russia Pavilion.
• The TCS National Rural IT Quiz 2025;
•  showcased exceptional young talent from across the country, with Pratham Chetan Dand from Shree M. J. C. K. R. Higher Secondary School, Songadh, Gujarat, emerging as the National Winner. The Runner-Up title was secured by Anish Nauso Shetye from Dr. K. B. Hedgewar Vidyamandir, Sankhalim, Goa, reflecting the strong performance and enthusiasm from students across rural India. This year’s edition once again underscored the growing digital awareness and potential of rural students, reinforcing the Quiz’s mission to inspire and empower future innovators.
• The BioQuiz 2025 National Finals;
•  at the Bengaluru Tech Summit brought together top biotechnology students from across India for a fast-paced and engaging competition hosted by quizmaster Giri Balasubramaniam, with guest Apoorva K Bidari, KAS, opening the session. Across challenging rounds covering molecular biology, genetics, and biotechnology innovations, the finalists demonstrated sharp thinking under pressure. Jharkhand’s Debabrata Meitei from ICAR–Indian Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology emerged as the National Winner, maintaining a commanding lead through consistent and accurate answering, while Uttar Pradesh’s Bhavya Bansal from Lovely Professional University finished as Runner-Up following steady scoring and impressive buzzer attempts. The finalist from AISSMS College of Engineering, Maharashtra, also delivered a strong performance, making the quiz a spirited and memorable highlight of the summit.
• The fireside chat with Zepto Co-founder Kaivalya Vohra, moderated by Ankur Warikoo, offered a compelling look into how Zepto pioneered the 10-minute delivery model. Vohra shared that the idea emerged after noticing that customers who accidentally received 10–15-minute deliveries showed the highest retention, prompting the founders to test the concept hands-on during the pandemic. He spoke about the challenge of building dark stores and ultra-fast supply chain systems with no global precedent, relying on rapid iteration and strong technical innovation. Emphasising resilience, Vohra noted that entrepreneurship demands showing up despite daily setbacks. He also highlighted the importance of hiring experienced operators early to fill knowledge gaps. Calling Bengaluru home, he credited the city’s exceptional talent pool for Zepto’s growth. The session concluded with insights into his inspirations, leadership learnings, and Zepto’s continued expansion beyond groceries.
• Speaking at Future Conclave, Group Capt. Shubhanshu Shukla delivered an inspiring keynote on the realities of human spaceflight, emphasising how curiosity drives humanity to solve extreme challenges beyond Earth. He described how astronauts must relearn basic actions in space due to the absence of gravity, making even simple tasks unfamiliar. Shukla highlighted the dramatic evolution of spacecraft from the earliest capsules to modern touch-screen-operated Crew Dragon vehicles. He explained the crushing experience of launch, where astronauts endure up to 8 Gs while ascending to 28,500 km/h in under nine minutes. He spoke about the disorienting nature of microgravity, where concepts like up or down vanish and objects float effortlessly. The physiological impact of space travel was outlined, including fluid shifts to the head, muscle loss, and temporary height increase. He shared how returning to Earth requires relearning how to walk after days in orbit. Shukla also emphasised the psychological resilience required for long-duration missions. He showcased breathtaking visuals of Earth from space, including India illuminated at night. Concluding with a strong message, he urged the audience to contribute to India’s rapidly growing space ecosystem and help power the nation’s journey toward “Viksit Bharat 2047,” reminding everyone that the sky was never the limit.

In a Fireside chat, the Grit, Glory, and Grace, moderated by sports anchor Mayanti Langer, Sanya Mirza, and Richa Ghosh, discuss navigating criticism, managing the spotlight, and staying grounded as elite athletes. Sanya shared how she developed resilience over the years, noting that neither social media praise nor negativity should shape an athlete’s mindset. They reflected on how technology and data have transformed training, recovery and performance, especially for women whose physiological needs require tailored support. Sanya emphasised that while AI and innovation elevate sport, instinct, talent and hard work remain irreplaceable. Both athletes also celebrated the rising visibility and respect for women’s sports in India and urged young athletes and entrepreneurs to stay rooted in their purpose and focus on consistent effort rather than external expectations.