SUMMARY

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal urged investors, corporates and venture capital funds to start investing in India before it is "too late", saying the country’s investment ecosystem is ready, the domestic market is large, and the government will help connect investors with market opportunities within an available policy framework. He was speaking at the closing ceremony of ‘Bharat Innovates 2026’ in Nice, France, on Tuesday.

Goyal also asked domestic industry to back startups by partnering with them in manufacturing, and called on researchers, academia and higher institutes to jointly undertake R&D programmes. He said this would help reduce the time taken for scientific discovery and bring work being done in India to market faster. He also urged businesses to use India’s free trade agreements and sought suggestions on improving the ease of doing business and encouraging Indian startups, researchers and innovators working overseas to return and build in India.

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Addressing investors and venture funds, Goyal said: "To our investors and venture funds, the time is now, get into action and start investing before it is too late. Indian family offices, Indian venture capital funds, Indian investors, Indian corporates, they all have to come into action. The ecosystem is ready. Our startups are doing some phenomenal work. There are tried and tested models in India. The market is large. Government will help connect you to the market. The policy framework is available. Get open to ideas on that front and invest in the future that India offers to the world," he said.

On industry support for startups, he said domestic companies should work with them in the manufacturing segment. "So that India will become your [Indian industries] launch pad and the global market will become your destination," Goyal said. He also urged researchers, academia and higher institutes to jointly carry out R&D programmes, saying this would help India reduce the time towards scientific discovery and reduce the time to market the work being done in the country.

Goyal said the government had announced a series of measures to promote the startup ecosystem in India and had rolled out a startup action plan to support budding entrepreneurs. He said almost the entire amount of the second tranche of the ₹10,000 crore Fund of Funds scheme was going to be committed for deep tech innovators and entities. He also asked domestic industry to leverage free trade agreements finalised by India in recent years.

He further sought suggestions on improving the ease of doing business in the country and on measures to encourage Indian startups working overseas to return and establish their base in India. "All those who are working around the world, many of whom want to come back… Give us some suggestions. How can we make the path of coming back to India to serve our mother land? How can we encourage so many young men and women researchers and innovators? We’ve been working for others for developing technologies. How can we help bring them back to India? How do we attract them?" he asked.

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At the event, Goyal said India was ready for investment, called on domestic industry to support startups and deepen work in manufacturing and research, urged businesses to use India’s FTAs, and invited suggestions on making it easier for overseas startups, researchers and innovators to return and build in India.

Published on: Jun 16, 2026 10:50 PM IST