11th & 12th July 2026 · Pondicherry, India
Invent in India
Pondicherry Innovation Festival 2026
About the Festival
Awakening the Indian Genius
India has always been a civilization of inventions — our genius expressed through science, mathematics, cosmology, spirituality, architecture, yoga, healing, music, philosophy, and ways of living.
Inspired by Sri Aurobindo's dream of awakening consciousness and creativity in India, Invent in India – Pondicherry Innovation Festival is a movement dedicated to reviving the spirit and renaissance of the Indian genius. India's greatest strength has always been its power of original thinking.
The festival seeks to inspire original thinking, original solutions, and original pathways towards a future that is regenerative, non-destructive, harmonious, conscious, and humane — empowering young minds to become creators rather than imitators.
At the same time, Invent in India is not only for India, but for the good of the whole world — a shared space where humanity's reservoir of wisdom, innovation, and know-how comes together in a spirit of collaboration, consciousness, and collective progress.
Institutions & Collaborators
Connected With
The first edition brought together luminaries and institutions across science, enterprise, art, and consciousness.
Detailed Programme
Festival Schedule
Two inspiring days of innovation talks, panel discussions, the Innovate Shark Tank pitch arena, exhibitions, and networking.
Day 1 — Saturday, July 11, 2026
Inauguration · Innovation Talks · Shark Tank · Networking
9:30 am
🎟Registration & Welcome of Delegates
Arrival, registration desk, welcome kits, and orientation.
10:00 am
🪔Inaugural Ceremony
- Lighting of the Lamp by Distinguished Guests
- Welcome Address
- Introduction to the Festival
11:30 am
💡Session 1: Innovation Talks & Panel Discussion
- Four eminent speakers delivering 15-minute talks each (10:00–11:00 am)
- Panel discussion moderated by an invited moderator (11:00–11:30 am)
12:00 noon
☕High Tea & Networking Break
Refreshments and open networking with delegates, innovators, and speakers.
1:30 pm
🔬Session 2: Innovation Talks & Panel Discussion
- Four eminent speakers delivering 15-minute talks each (12:00–1:00 pm)
- Panel discussion moderated by an invited moderator (1:00–1:30 pm)
2:30 pm
🍽Lunch Break & Startup Exhibition Interaction
Delegates interact with startups and innovators exhibiting in the innovation hall.
4:30 pm
🦈Innovate Shark Tank — Innovation Pitch Arena
- Top 10 innovators present their ideas and inventions
- Presentations evaluated by four Sharks: innovators, investors & industry leaders
5:00 pm
🤝Closing Remarks & Networking
Day 1 wrap-up, reflections, and open networking session.
Day 2 — Sunday, July 12, 2026
Innovation Talks · Awards Ceremony · Festival Closing
11:30 am
💡Session 3: Innovation Talks & Panel Discussion
- Four eminent speakers delivering 15-minute talks each
- Panel discussion moderated by an invited moderator
12:00 noon
☕High Tea & Networking Break
Refreshments and open networking with delegates, innovators, and speakers.
1:30 pm
🔬Session 4: Innovation Talks & Panel Discussion
- Four eminent speakers delivering 15-minute talks each
- Panel discussion moderated by an invited moderator
2:00 pm
🏆Awards Ceremony
- Announcement of Innovate Shark Tank Winners
- Felicitation of Participants and Innovators
onwards
🎊Festival Closing Lunch & Informal Networking
Celebrations, closing reflections, and informal networking with innovators, investors, and delegates from across India and the world.
What Awaits You
Opportunities & Highlights
A dynamic platform for students, startups, researchers, creators, and innovators to showcase ideas and forge meaningful connections.
Innovation Booths
Over 150 curated booths showcasing inventions, sustainable solutions, healing systems, and future-oriented projects.
Innovate Shark Tank
Top 10 innovators pitch before four Sharks — seasoned investors and industry leaders — competing for funding and mentorship.
Global Collaborations
Connect with innovators, researchers, and institutions from India and across the world to spark meaningful partnerships.
Investor Connections
Selected participants get to present their ideas directly before investors for real funding, visibility, and growth opportunities.
Mentorship Access
Gain guidance and confidence from scientists, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders across 4 themed panel discussions.
Conscious Innovation
Rooted in Sri Aurobindo's philosophy of awakened consciousness — where creativity meets purpose and progress meets humility.
Before the Main Festival
Preparatory Sessions
Great inventions emerge from healthy bodies, clear minds, and awakened consciousness. Special preparatory sessions will be organised before the main festival.
Wellness & Conscious Living
Grounding the body and mind for peak creativity. Sessions on yoga, healing, conscious nutrition, and the inner foundation of all great invention.
Media & Communication
Amplify your voice. Learn to present ideas compellingly — storytelling, pitch craft, and effective communication in the digital age.
Innovation & Future Thinking
Expand your horizons. Explore emerging technologies, design thinking, regenerative systems, and the frontiers of human ingenuity.
Festival Founder & Curator
Meet Lalit Verma
Founder & Curator
Lalit Verma
Cultural Visionary · Curator · Photographer
Founder, Aurodhan Art Gallery · Pondicherry, India
Lalit Verma is a visionary whose contributions to art and culture are truly inspiring. As the founder of Aurodhan Art Galleries, he has provided a platform for countless artists from different fields. A graduate of the Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education and an MBA, his journey includes a notable tenure as a Tata executive and a stint at La Maison des Cultures du Monde, Paris.
An accomplished photographer, Lalit has showcased his work globally and is the only Indian photographer to have his works auctioned by the prestigious Hessink's in Europe. His artworks have reached UNESCO Paris, the Indian Parliament House New Delhi, and have been appreciated by the Indian President, Prime Minister, and the Director-General of UNESCO.
In 2025, a film by Lalit Verma premiered at the Cannes Film Festival — a landmark milestone in his ever-expanding creative journey.
Fluent in several languages including French, Lalit has served as President of the Alliance Française of Pondicherry. His recent initiatives — Oneness through Art and Oneness through Yoga — have fostered harmony, raised art consciousness, and helped create a collective movement towards human evolution.
His exhibitions have been showcased in Kuala Lumpur, France, Italy, Belgium, and Amsterdam, and are set to be presented at the prestigious Indian Institute of Science, Hyderabad, under the aegis of SPIC MACAY. He has received numerous honours including a Lifetime Achievement Award and the Viswa Ratna.
A flame has come and touched men's hearts and gone;
A few have caught fire and risen to greater life.
Our Invitation
Catch the Flame
The Invent in India – Pondicherry Innovation Festival 2026 is an invitation to catch that flame — to rediscover originality, revive the creative spirit of India, and help shape a better future for humanity.
Because the future must not only be manufactured — it must be imagined, awakened, and invented.
Lalit Verma
Founder & Curator
Invent in India – Pondicherry Innovation Festival
Aurodhan Art Gallery, Pondicherry
Join the Movement
Participate in the Festival
Whether you are a student, researcher, startup, artist, healer, educator, or innovator — there is a place for you at this festival. Bring your idea. Share your invention. Connect with the future.