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DoT Launches 5G Innovation Hackathon 2026
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, has launched the second edition of its flagship 5G Innovation Hackathon 2026, reinforcing the Government of India’s commitment to accelerating next-generation telecom solutions under the ‘Make in India’ initiative .
Organised under the 100 5G Use Case Labs Initiative, the hackathon aims to catalyse the development of innovative and scalable solutions leveraging 5G and allied technologies . It invites participation from students, startups, MSMEs, and independent innovators across the country .
📅 Key Dates and Application Process
The call for proposals opened on March 20, 2026, and submissions will remain open until April 17, 2026 . Proposals must be submitted through designated 100 5G Use Case Lab institutions, which will function as nodal centres for coordination and evaluation .
The selection process follows a structured multi-stage evaluation framework:
- Institute-level screening
- Regional committee assessment
- National-level evaluation based on presentations
- Prototype development support
- Final assessment based on physical demonstrations
💰 Funding and Prize Structure
Financial Support for Prototyping
Selected teams will receive both financial and infrastructural support to convert ideas into working prototypes. A dedicated seed funding pool of ₹50 lakh has been earmarked for this purpose . Teams will also gain access to advanced infrastructure at the 100 5G Use Case Labs established across premier academic institutions for testing and validation .
Prize Pool Exceeding ₹10 Lakh
| Award | Prize Money |
|---|---|
| First Prize | ₹5,00,000 |
| Runner-up | ₹3,00,000 |
| Second Runner-up | ₹1,50,000 |
| Best Idea Award | ₹50,000 |
Additionally, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) filing support will be extended to up to 25 teams .
🎯 Thematic Focus Areas
Applications are invited across a broad spectrum of thematic areas reflecting the expanding scope of telecom innovation :
- 5G and 5G Advanced use cases – scalable applications leveraging next-generation connectivity
- AI and Machine Learning – applications for telecom technology development, network operations, and maintenance
- IoT-enabled solutions – for sectors including healthcare, agriculture, education, and industrial automation
- Disaster management applications using 5G
- RedCap user equipment and Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) technologies
- Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) integrated with 5G systems
- Network slicing and Quality of Service (QoS) capabilities
- Telecom security solutions for next-generation communication systems
🏆 Showcase at India Mobile Congress 2026
The final results will be declared on October 1, 2026, and the winning innovations will be showcased and awarded at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026, offering national and global visibility to participants .
💡 A Platform for ‘Make in India’
The hackathon reflects a strategic push by the Government to nurture grassroots innovation, strengthen the telecom ecosystem, and position India as a global leader in next-generation communication technologies. By combining funding support, access to advanced infrastructure, and opportunities for national recognition, the initiative aims to transform innovative ideas into impactful, scalable solutions aligned with the ‘Make in India’ vision .
Interested participants can submit applications online through the official DoT portal: https://eservices.dot.gov.in/5ghackathon/
