Kamal Ghorui
MUMBAI: A new technology festival, ImagiNxt 2026, will make its debut in Mumbai in May, positioning itself as a cross-sector platform linking India’s startup ecosystem with policymakers, investors and global technology leaders. The two-day event will be held on May 22–23 at the Jio World Centre.Organisers say the idea behind ImagiNxt is to create a single forum where technology innovation, regulation and capital can be discussed together — a gap many in the ecosystem have pointed to despite India’s rapid startup growth. With more than 157,000 startups and over 100 unicorns, India remains fragmented across events that cater separately to founders, investors or policy discussions.The event is expected to draw over 15,000 participants, with more than 200 speakers and around 1,000 startups taking part. About 300 investors are slated to attend, alongside enterprise leaders, researchers and creators. The programme will feature over 100 sessions across five parallel tracks, ranging from digital public infrastructure and enterprise technology to consumer tech, gaming and design.International speakers announced so far include Cristina Ventura, general partner at White Star Capital, and Noi Cecilia Oldne, chief India representative of the Sweden–India Business Council. More global participants are expected to be added in the coming weeks.Indian speakers will include investors Shailesh Lakhani and Dipanjan Basu, along with founders such as Rohit Chennamaneni, Sanjay Nekkanti and Sanjeev Sharma.The programme will also see participation from institutions including Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, NASSCOM and NSRCEL at IIM Bangalore. A startup pitch programme and a showcase of grassroots innovations, in partnership with the National Innovation Foundation, are also planned.
