Patna May 15: The Bihar government is participating in the Pan IIT Alumni India Bangalore Summit 2026, scheduled to be held in Bengaluru on May 16 as part of a wider effort to strengthen Bihar’s technology and innovation ecosystem, deepen engagement with industry and investors, and expand the state’s role in India’s emerging deep-tech and digital economy.
The summit, themed “Catalysing Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Nation Building,” is expected to bring together IIT alumni, investors, technology leaders, startup founders, policymakers, academicians, and industry experts from India and abroad. Discussions will focus on artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, deep technology, entrepreneurship, and next-generation industrial opportunities.
According to official communication issued by Rachna Patil, Secretary (Expenditure), Finance Department, Government of Bihar, engagement with the summit is being viewed as a strategic step toward advancing Bihar’s proposed “New Tech Hub” initiative and strengthening collaboration between government, academia, industry, and investors.
As part of the proposed engagement, Shri Ruhail Ranjan, Hon’ble MLA, Islampur (Nalanda), Shri Abhishek Anand, Hon’ble MLA, Cheria Bariarpur (Begusarai), and Prof. Pritam Kumar from IIT Patna have been identified to interact with stakeholders at the summit. The state government is also examining the possibility of hosting a future Pan IIT Alumni India or technology-focused summit in Bihar to strengthen direct engagement between research institutions, startups, investors, venture capital networks, and private industry.
The move comes at a time when Bihar is seeking to diversify its industrial base through the Bihar Industrial Investment Promotion Package 2025, which offers incentives across sectors, including information technology, electronics, electric mobility, logistics, renewable energy, food processing, and advanced manufacturing. The policy includes land support, capital subsidies, SGST reimbursement, employment-linked incentives, and infrastructure assistance to improve the state’s investment competitiveness.
Commenting on the initiative, Shri Ruhail Ranjan, Hon’ble MLA, Islampur (Nalanda), said: “Bihar stands at an important economic turning point. For years, the state was viewed largely as a source of talent and labour. The next phase must focus on building an economy where young people can create companies, develop technology, and generate opportunities within Bihar itself. Our engagement with the Pan IIT Alumni India summit is about understanding how strong innovation ecosystems are built and how government, academia, and industry can work together to attract long-term investment.”
“Policies alone cannot create innovation. States must create conditions where businesses feel supported, startups can access networks and capital, and research institutions can convert ideas into economic growth and employment generation. Bihar is now attempting to move seriously in that direction,” he added.
Dr. Preetam Kumar, Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Patna, said, “The establishment of three AI Centres of Excellence at IIT Patna represents an important step toward strengthening Bihar’s deep-tech and research capabilities. The collaboration between the Government of India, Government of Bihar, Tiger Analytics, and IIT Patna aligns public funding, academic research, and industry participation toward practical deployment. The Centres will focus on agriculture, healthcare, robotics, education, wireless technologies, and disaster management while supporting startup incubation, innovation, and skilled employment creation.”
He further added that the proposed Research Park at IIT Patna could strengthen the connection between academic research and industry-led commercialisation while helping create a stronger innovation ecosystem within the state.
Ashok Kumar, Secretary, Pan IIT Alumni India, said: “For decades, Bihar contributed significantly to India’s talent pipeline while much of the technology investment and industrial expansion happened elsewhere. This is a significant move because modern investment no longer flows only toward states offering incentives or low operating costs. It increasingly follows research capability, skilled talent, institutional support, policy continuity, and the confidence that businesses can execute and scale efficiently over the long term.”
“Technology companies look for states where governments engage continuously with industry, reduce operational friction, improve infrastructure, and support long-term growth. Bihar’s engagement with the Pan IIT ecosystem reflects a serious intent to position the state within India’s next technology and innovation cycle,” he added.
The initiative reflects Bihar’s growing recognition that industrial growth can no longer depend only on conventional infrastructure and subsidy-led models. States that attract long-term investment increasingly combine research capability, institutional collaboration, skilled talent, policy continuity, and sustained industry engagement. Bihar is now seeking to build that alignment at scale.