The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) will organise a curtain-raiser event and media interaction on 15th October 2026 at the ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute (CSSRI), Karnal, Haryana, ahead of the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC)-2026, scheduled to be held from 27 to 29 October 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
Dr. M. L. Jat, Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), will address the curtain-raiser event of ESTIC-2026 and speak on ICAR in ESTIC-2026.
The programme will feature a media interaction on Agri-Tech, Food Systems and Nutrition, providing a platform for discussions on emerging developments in agricultural technology, food systems and nutrition.
ICAR in ESTIC 2026
Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), is a member of the Steering Committee of ESTIC-2026, alongside the heads of several major scientific and technology departments of the Government of India. ICAR is directly associated with the thematic session on “Agri-Tech, Food Systems and Nutrition,” one of the 12 major thematic sessions of ESTIC-2026, scheduled for 29th October 2026. The session will be chaired by the Secretary, DARE and Director General, ICAR, and the Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI). It will feature a keynote address, presentations by a deep-tech startup CEO, a woman entrepreneur and science and technology (S&T) leaders, followed by a panel discussion. The session will provide a platform to highlight the contribution of agricultural research, innovation and emerging technologies to India’s broader science and technology landscape. Several ICAR scientists, including researchers from ICAR–Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), ICAR–National Institute for Plant Biotechnology and ICAR–National Rice Research Institute, are also listed among the speakers at ESTIC-2026. ICAR’s participation will highlight advances in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, digital agriculture, advanced crop improvement, gene editing and sustainable agricultural systems. In addition, ICAR will showcase its innovations under the theme “Agri-Tech, Food Systems and Nutrition” at the ESTIC-2026 exhibition.
ESTIC-2026
ESTIC-2026 is a flagship platform for science, technology and innovation, bringing together Ministries and Departments of the Government, researchers, innovators, deep-tech start-ups, industries, policymakers, funding agencies and global experts. Organised by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Ministry of Science and Technology, under the guidance of the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, Government of India, with the National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST) as the Organising Partner, the three-day event will provide a platform for showcasing cutting-edge research, emerging technologies and deep-tech innovations and fostering collaboration in emerging and critical areas of science, technology and innovation towards the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
The Conclave will feature participation from the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Ministry of Ayush, Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Department of Defence/DRDO, Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), ICAR, Department of Health Research (DHR)/Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Department of Space/ISRO, and Department of Telecommunications (DoT), along with Nobel Laureates, global experts, industry leaders, policymakers and emerging science & technology leaders, researchers, innovators, deep-tech start-ups, industries, funding agencies, policymakers and global experts.
ICAR’s participation in ESTIC-2026 will contribute to strengthening collaborative efforts towards sustainable and technology-driven agricultural and food systems in line with the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047.