RAS question
How many deep-tech startups participated in the Bharat Innovates Deep-Tech Pre-Summit held at IIT Bombay on March 21-22, 2026?
Correct answer: (A) 137 startups selected from over 1,186 applications.
The Bharat Innovates Deep-Tech Pre-Summit at IIT Bombay brought together 137 promising deep-tech startups selected from over 1,186 applications received from across India.
Explanation
The Press Information Bureau release identifies the IIT Bombay event as the Bharat Innovates Deep-Tech Pre-Summit and says it was organised as a national precursor to the Bharat Innovates 2026 global showcase in France. Its key participation figure is 137 promising deep-tech startups, chosen from more than 1,186 applications from across the country. This makes option A correct. The same release separately mentions that around 175 investors and industry leaders attended a roundtable chaired by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, so that number should not be confused with the count of participating startups. The startup pitching sessions showcased research-driven deep-tech work across areas such as advanced materials, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, clean technologies and next-generation manufacturing systems.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Option B wrongly uses 175 as the startup count; the PIB release uses that figure for investors and industry leaders at a separate roundtable, not for selected startups.
- (C) Option C gives 250 startups and 800 applications, but the PIB release states 137 startups selected from over 1,186 applications.
- (D) Option D treats 1,186 as the number of startups, whereas the PIB release says it was the application pool from which 137 startups were selected.
Concept
This tests government initiatives in science, technology and innovation, especially startup ecosystem support and deep-tech policy signalling. Such questions recur in RAS because PIB releases often supply exact, exam-friendly figures linked to national missions and institutional events.