India Science Festival

What India Science Festival does

India Science Festival (ISF) is an annual, in-person science communication event that operates as India's largest non-governmental platform for public celebration of science and technology. Founded in 2019 with its inaugural edition in 2020, ISF runs a single, unified festival program of expert talks, panel discussions, workshops, debates, science exhibitions, theatre performances, and interactive installations, structured around four named venues at IISER Pune (Horizon Theatre, Curiosity Field, Cosmos Hall, Wonder Space) for the ISF 2026 edition on January 10-11, 2026. The festival also operates three branded competition sub-products — Spin Your Science (sci-fi writing), Science in Focus (visual storytelling), and Talk Your Thesis (5-minute thesis presentations) — plus an ISFx specialized track. Notable speakers across editions include Nobel laureate Venki Ramakrishnan, ISRO astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, and Ashish Vaswani, co-author of the Transformer architecture and CEO of Essential AI.

The underlying 'product' is the festival experience itself, supported by a multi-channel distribution stack: a primary website (indiasciencefest.org) with registration, a downloadable brochure, session recording on YouTube, and active profiles on Instagram, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn. ISF is headquartered in Delhi, runs with 1-10 employees, and has accumulated 100,000+ attendees and 550+ speakers across its first six editions.

ISF monetizes through sponsorship and partnership revenue from corporates and institutions (Google, IBM, Microsoft, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are among named sponsor-ecosystem participants), STEM booth and exhibitor participation fees from organizations such as Genetiks4U, and institutional backing via FAST India (co-founded by ISF founder Varun Aggarwal). Public attendance is free, and no ticket pricing is disclosed; pricing is not standardized. Customer segments span general public attendees (students, researchers, educators, science enthusiasts), participating scientists and academics, corporate and institutional sponsors, and science communication NGOs. The business model is structurally event-driven, concentrated into a 2-day live window with follow-on engagement via recorded content and competition pipelines.

Name

India Science Festival

Website

https://indiasciencefest.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

India Science Festival is an annual, in-person science communication event — India's largest non-governmental science festival — hosting 450+ events featuring 550+ speakers for 100,000+ cumulative attendees across six editions, with free public attendance and sponsorship-driven revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Science Communication Events

NAICS

Museums (712110), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Academic & Scientific Conferences (MPAGAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Science & Technology Museums (THAJADAD), Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA), Arts & Culture Community Festivals (Multidisciplinary Arts Weeks) (MPAGAEAG), Science Camps & Field Programs (Nature, Space, Marine, Geology) (EDAMABAB)

Keywords

• Science communication events
• Public science festivals
• Science outreach programs
• STEM engagement platforms
• Educational conferences

Headquarters

HQ city

Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Sponsorship and Partnership Revenue: The festival lists a 'Sponsors and Partners' section on its website and publishes a dedicated ISF 2026 Brochure, indicating sponsorship as a revenue stream. Corporate and institutional sponsors support the event in exchange for brand visibility among 100,000+ attendees and high-profile speakers.
2. Registration Fees (Free Public Attendance Model): The festival registration collects attendee details but appears free to attend. Revenue may be generated indirectly through exhibitor booth fees, STEM booth participation fees from organizations like Genetiks4U, and sponsorship rather than direct ticket sales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

India Science Festival organizes India's largest annual non-governmental public celebration of science and technology, a multi-day in-person festival featuring 450+ events including expert talks, panel discussions, workshops, science exhibitions, theatre, debates, and interactive installations. The festival also runs three science communication competitions — Spin Your Science (sci-fi writing), Science in Focus (visual storytelling), and Talk Your Thesis (thesis presentations) — alongside an ISFx specialized track, with free public attendance funded through sponsorships and exhibitor fees.

Product overview

India Science Festival is a single, unified annual event that serves as India's largest platform for science communication and outreach. The festival operates as a multi-day event featuring the core festival experience along with three branded competition products: Spin Your Science (sci-fi writing), Science in Focus (visual storytelling), and Talk Your Thesis (thesis presentations). ISFx represents an additional specialized track. The event brings together over 550 speakers and 100,000+ attendees across its annual editions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• India Science Festival (Annual Event) India's largest non-governmental annual science festival bringing together scientists, researchers, students, and science enthusiasts for multi-day in-person events featuring expert talks, panel discussions, workshops, science exhibitions, theatre performances, debates, interactive installations, and competitions. Held at IISER Pune for ISF 2026 (January 10-11, 2026) with free public attendance.
• Spin Your Science
• Science in Focus
• Talk Your Thesis
• ISFx

Quantifiable outcome

• 100,000+ cumulative attendees across 6 editions
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IISER Pune (Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIISER Pune serves as the primary host venue for India Science Festival. The festival uses multiple venues within the IISER Pune campus including the Horizon Theatre (Auditorium), Cosmos Hall (Smt. Indrani Balan Science Activity Centre), and Wonder Space (Amphitheatre). The partnership enables ISF to leverage the institution's academic credibility and physical infrastructure.
• ISF 2026 Speakers and Their InstitutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISF features speakers from premier global institutions including ISRO, University of Cambridge, Cornell University, Oxford University, Harvard Medical School, IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, Brown University, Imperial College London, and others. These institutional affiliations lend credibility and attract attendees.
• FAST India (Foundation for Advancing Science and Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAST India is a key institutional partner. Varun Aggarwal, Founder of India Science Festival, is also Co-Founder of FAST India. FAST India brings in speakers, panelists, and organizational support to the festival, including sessions like 'Rising Minds of India: A Dialogue on Excellence'.
• Cactus Communications / Impact ScienceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCactus Communications, through its Impact Science division focused on research communication, is involved in ISF sessions. Speakers from Cactus/Impact Science include Shane Rydquist (Associate Vice President) and Dr. Karishma Kaushik (Science Communication Expert).
• Swatantra TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwatantra Theatre provides the original theatre drama chronicling India's space journey at ISF 2026, narrated by Akhilendra Mishra. This partnership merges performing arts with science communication.
• Genetiks4U / Centre for Genetic Disorders, BHUminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScience communication organizations that run interactive STEM booths at ISF. Participants conduct hands-on science activities like fingerprint pattern identification for festival attendees, demonstrating science communication in practice.
• ARISA FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerARISA Foundation partners with ISF for a neuro-aesthetic dance performance where audience members' neuro-physiological data is displayed live during the art experience, blending science with performing arts.
• Invention EngineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvention Engine organizes the SparkX: Startup Pitching Event at ISF 2026, combining science innovation with startup ecosystem engagement at the festival.
• Nukkad TheoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNukkad Theory conducts a Just-A-Minute (JAM) science communication session at ISF 2026, using street theatre techniques for science outreach.
• ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISRO astronauts (Shubhanshu Shukla) and ISRO-affiliated speakers (Group Captain and Test Pilot with IAF) are featured at ISF 2026. A panel discussion 'Launch, Land, Lead: India's Space Odyssey' involves ISRO scientists and space startup founders, highlighting India's space ecosystem.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• TED (TED Talks / TED Conferences): TED is a global, multi-format ideas platform featuring short expert talks across science, technology, and society. While broader than ISF, TED competes for the same high-profile scientists (including AI pioneers and Nobel laureates) and uses a similar free-content / sponsor-supported business model.
• Science Museum Group: The Science Museum Group operates major science museums and public engagement venues in the UK, hosting exhibitions, talks, and educational programming. Comparable in operating science exhibitions, interactive installations, and educational programming for general audiences, though at much larger institutional scale.

Direct peers

• Science Gallery International: Science Gallery is a global network (originating at Trinity College Dublin) that runs public-facing exhibitions and programs at the intersection of art and science. Comparable in fusing science with theatre, art, and interactive installations, and in targeting young adult audiences.
• World Science Festival: The World Science Festival (founded 2008 in New York by Brian Greene) is the closest global analog to ISF: a multi-day annual celebration of science featuring marquee scientists, public talks, art-science collaborations, and youth competitions. Comparable in format, audience engagement philosophy, and speaker prestige.
• Royal Institution Christmas Lectures: The UK's Royal Institution Christmas Lectures are an annual science communication event featuring world-class scientists presenting to public audiences, broadcast widely. Comparable in mission (public engagement with frontier science) and speaker-caliber targeting, though operating as an established institution rather than a private festival.

Emerging players

• Maker Faire: Maker Faire is a global network of community-based festivals celebrating science, technology, and DIY innovation with hands-on exhibits, workshops, and demos. Comparable in event format (multi-track, hands-on, sponsor-supported) and audience (science enthusiasts, students, families), though more maker/DIY focused than academic science.
• NCBS (National Centre for Biological Sciences) Public Engagement: NCBS runs public science engagement programs and events in India, including talks, science cafés, and outreach initiatives. Comparable in mission of public-facing science communication in India, though operating as an institutional program rather than a stand-alone festival.

Others

• Quanta Magazine: Quanta Magazine is an editorially independent online publication covering前沿 science research with accessible, high-quality science journalism. Not a direct competitor, but adjacent in the science communication ecosystem targeting curious, educated audiences similar to ISF attendees.

Regional players

• Indian Science Congress: The Indian Science Congress is a long-running government-affiliated annual science congress in India featuring plenary talks, symposia, and large academic attendance. Operates in the same Indian geography as ISF but with a more academic/researcher audience rather than ISF's public/youth focus.
• Bengaluru Science Festival: Bengaluru Science Festival is another Indian annual public science event featuring talks, workshops, and exhibits. Comparable in format and regional scope, though smaller in scale than ISF and not a direct competitor due to its own city and audience base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IndSciFest
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCHlTONOsjK7XiZRig3TRV0Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/indiasciencefest
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/indiasciencefest
• Instagraminstagram.com/indiasciencefest

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about India Science Festival