Sridhar Vembu, Founder and Chief Scientist, Zoho Corporation; Deepak Lamba, Founder and CEO, ImagiNxt; and Smit Shah, President, Drone Federation of India, joined leaders across technology, space, drones and creator economy at the Maharashtra Tourism hosted event in Mumbai.
Mumbai, June 4, 2026: ImagiNxt 2026 concluded in Mumbai after two days of discussions on India’s growing role in AI, DeepTech, SpaceTech, drone technology, digital infrastructure and the creator economy.
Hosted by Maharashtra Tourism at the Jio World Convention Centre, the event brought together founders, policymakers, investors and technology leaders to discuss India’s need for stronger domestic technology capabilities, long term research and wider industry collaboration.
One of the key themes at the event was the need for India to reduce dependence on global technology systems and build stronger homegrown capability. Sridhar Vembu, Founder and Chief Scientist, Zoho Corporation, spoke about sovereign AI and long term investment in research and engineering as important priorities for India.
Vembu said Zoho has filed more than 30 patents in recent years through its rural research and development teams. He also said the company is investing in semiconductors, quantum sensing and advanced materials. He pointed to rising AI infrastructure costs globally, with server expenses increasing three to four times over the past six months because of growing demand.
“India cannot afford to remain only a consumer of global technology platforms. The country has the talent and capability to build its own long term technology and AI ecosystems, provided we invest patiently in research, engineering and indigenous innovation,” said Sridhar Vembu, Founder and Chief Scientist, Zoho Corporation.
The event also featured discussions on India’s startup and grassroots technology ecosystem. Deepak Bagla, Mission Director, Atal Innovation Mission, said the initiative has impacted more than 1.1 crore students and established over 10000 Atal Tinkering Labs, helping expand innovation beyond metro cities.
India’s private SpaceTech ecosystem was another focus area. Srinath Ravichandran, Co Founder and CEO, Agnikul Cosmos, spoke about the growth of India’s space sector, policy support and growing confidence in domestic engineering.
Drone and counter drone technologies were also discussed, with speakers examining their use in logistics, infrastructure security and defence. Smit Shah, President, Drone Federation of India, said India now has more than 600 drone companies and over 200 drone component manufacturers.
“The future is about identifying compliant drones and separating them from careless or criminal use. The goal is to build protocols where a counter drone system can neutralise an illegal UAV without disrupting a legitimate drone operating in the same airspace,” said Smit Shah, President, Drone Federation of India.
ImagiNxt 2026 also included international participation across creator economy, technology and data led tracks. Stefano Fallaha, Founder and CEO, Podeo, spoke on podcasting and audio first platforms. Dana Aleff, CEO and Co Founder, Circonomit, spoke on the limits of AI and the role of deterministic optimisation in enterprise problem solving.
The event also featured a creator economy discussion with Paul Sirisant, CEO, Cloud 11 Bangkok, and Elise Lilliehöök, CEO and Co Founder, Mingla, on how physical spaces, technology and community building can help large gatherings create stronger networks.
The event included technology displays and live demonstrations, including humanoid robots, AI powered anti drone systems, the Indrajaal defence vehicle, AR and VR experiences, and startup showcases. LearnTube.ai conducted AI focused workshops, assessments and interactive learning sessions at the venue.
“The future of innovation will be shaped by stronger collaboration between founders, investors, policymakers, researchers and technology leaders. ImagiNxt was envisioned as a platform that brings these ecosystems together under one roof to enable conversations, partnerships and ideas shaping the next generation of technology and entrepreneurship from India,” said Deepak Lamba, Founder and CEO, ImagiNxt.
ImagiNxt is a technology and business event that brings together founders, policymakers, enterprise leaders, investors, academia and public institutions to discuss the future of industries and economies.
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