5G Innovation Hackathon 2026 to drive next-gen telecom solutions
The Government of India has announced the second edition of the 5G Innovation Hackathon 2026, a flagship initiative aimed at accelerating the development of cutting-edge telecom solutions. Spearheaded by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), the hackathon seeks to nurture innovative and scalable applications leveraging 5G and allied technologies. Submissions for the nationwide competition are now open and will be accepted until April 17, 2026.
Organised under the ambitious “100 5G Use Case Labs” initiative, the hackathon invites participation from a diverse pool of innovators, including students, startups, MSMEs, and technology enthusiasts across the country. According to the DoT, proposals must be submitted through designated institutions hosting the 100 5G labs, which will act as nodal centres for the programme.
The selection process will follow a rigorous multi-stage evaluation system. Entries will first undergo institute-level screening, followed by regional assessments and national-level evaluations. Shortlisted teams will receive support for prototype development, culminating in final demonstrations before expert panels. The hackathon covers a wide range of thematic areas, including 5G and advanced 5G applications, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in telecom operations, and Internet of Things (IoT)-based solutions across sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, education, and industrial automation. The initiative aims to bridge the gap between concept and execution by encouraging real-world, impact-driven innovations.
To support participants, the government has earmarked a seed funding pool of ₹50 lakh, enabling selected teams to transform their ideas into functional prototypes. Participants will also gain access to state-of-the-art infrastructure at the 100 5G Use Case Labs established in premier academic institutions for testing and validation.
The hackathon offers a total prize pool exceeding ₹10 lakh, with ₹5 lakh awarded to the winner, ₹3 lakh to the runner-up, and ₹1.5 lakh to the second runner-up. A special “Best Idea” award of ₹50,000 will also be presented. Additionally, up to 25 teams will receive support for Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) filing.
The final results will be announced on October 1, 2026, with winning innovations set to be showcased at the prestigious India Mobile Congress 2026, reinforcing India’s push towards becoming a global leader in next-generation telecom technologies.
