The Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India marked the culmination of the skilling initiative Inspiring Innovators Naye Bharat Ki Nayi Pehchaan in New Delhi on 13 January 2026, bringing together policymakers industry leaders innovators and students in a unique collaboration that blended science innovation and creative storytelling.
The initiative was led by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser in partnership with the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity and implemented by Graphiti Studios. The closing event was attended by Principal Scientific Adviser Ajay Kumar Sood along with Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs L Murugan senior officials from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting representatives of Netflix and Graphiti Studios and participating students and innovators.
Designed to bridge India’s innovation ecosystem with its creative talent base the programme focused on highlighting socially relevant innovation while simultaneously building practical skills among young creators. Eight Indian startups identified by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser for their impact driven work were featured through eight short animated films. These films were conceptualised and produced by students drawn from eight universities across the country creating a direct collaboration between innovators and emerging creative professionals.
Ajay Kumar Sood said the initiative reflected a holistic approach to strengthening India’s innovation ecosystem by linking policy intent talent development and real world application. He noted that the programme demonstrated how storytelling can play a powerful role in communicating the societal relevance of innovation while also equipping students with industry ready skills. By connecting startups students and creative mentors the initiative aimed to build long term pathways between science technology and the creative economy.
The skilling component of the programme involved a cohort of 26 students selected from diverse regions of India including Tier II cities. Women constituted 50 percent of the participants underscoring the programme’s emphasis on inclusion and equitable access to opportunity. Students received hands on mentorship from experts at the National Institute of Design Ahmedabad and Graphiti Studios gaining exposure to professional animation storytelling workflows and industry standards.
L Murugan described Inspiring Innovators as a strong example of how innovation stories aligned with the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision can be communicated effectively to wider audiences. He highlighted that the featured startups represented diverse sectors including fisheries agriculture and assistive technologies for persons with disabilities areas that deliver tangible social value and directly support inclusive national development.
Netflix India said the collaboration brought together government industry and young creators to present innovation narratives in a meaningful and accessible manner. The programme demonstrated how creative platforms can amplify grassroots innovation and encourage young talent to engage with science and technology driven social solutions.
The culmination ceremony featured the screening of all eight animated films an anthem performance by students of the Shankar Mahadevan Academy and addresses by senior representatives of partner organisations. The films will be made available for public viewing on Netflix India’s YouTube channel extending the reach of the initiative beyond the event and enabling wider public engagement with India’s innovation stories.
The Inspiring Innovators initiative reinforced the role of cross sector partnerships in nurturing a future ready innovation ecosystem and showcased how creative skilling can complement scientific progress in shaping a socially responsive and inclusive development narrative for India.
