India Launches NIDAR 2.0: Drone Innovation Challenge Powered by Indigenous VEGA Processor

India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in collaboration with Drone Federation of India (DFI), has launched NIDAR 2.0 (2026–27), the second edition of the National Innovation Challenge for Drone Application and Research. The initiative, under the SwaYaan programme, focuses on building autonomous drones powered by India’s indigenous VEGA processor, marking a major step toward self-reliance in drone technology.

The VEGA processor is India’s first fully indigenous family of high‑performance microprocessors, developed by C‑DAC under MeitY’s Digital India RISC‑V (DIR‑V) programme. It is based on the open‑source RISC‑V architecture and designed to reduce dependence on foreign chip designs while powering strategic, industrial, and commercial applications.

The first edition of NIDAR (2025–26), launched in March 2025, attracted 3,448 students from 22 States, 4 Union Territories, and 109 cities. Participants developed autonomous drone solutions for Disaster Management and Precision Agriculture. Out of 93 teams that reached the Grand Finale, 24 teams emerged winners, sharing prizes worth ₹40 lakh.

Building on this success, NIDAR 2.0 raises the bar. The focus now shifts from conventional airframes to autonomous systems, indigenous avionics, and core drone components. The challenge is structured across two distinct tracks, encouraging innovation in both drone applications and component design.

Launch Details

• Date & Venue: July 13, 2026, at Electronics Niketan, New Delhi, in hybrid mode.
• Organizers: MeitY and DFI under the SwaYaan initiative.
• Key Officials: Shri S. Krishnan (Secretary, MeitY), Shri Amitesh Kumar Sinha (Additional Secretary, MeitY & CEO, India Semiconductor Mission), Smt. Tulika Pandey (Scientist G, MeitY), Shri Smit Shah (President, DFI).
• Participants: Students, faculty, government representatives, industry leaders, and officials from Civil Aviation, Defence, Home Affairs, DGCA, and armed forces.

Objectives of NIDAR 2.0

• From flying drones to building the drone’s brain: Focus on autonomous systems and indigenous avionics.
• Powered by VEGA processor: Developed under the Digital India RISC-V (DIR-V) programme, reducing dependence on foreign chip designs.
• Prize pool: Over ₹65 lakh, plus internships, incubation support, and cloud credits.
• Tracks:
  • Track 1 – Drone Innovation: Autonomous swarm drones for disaster relief and GPS-denied drones for industrial inspection.
  • Track 2 – Component Innovation: Indigenous flight controllers and autopilots built around VEGA processors.

NIDAR 1.0 vs NIDAR 2.0

NIDAR 2025-26	NIDAR 2.0 (2026-27)
3,448 students from 22 States, 4 UTs, 109 cities	Expanded scope with focus on indigenous avionics
Themes: Disaster Management & Precision Agriculture	Themes: Swarm drones, GPS-denied navigation, VEGA-based autopilot
93 teams reached Grand Finale	Top 100 teams to receive VEGA kits
₹40 lakh prize pool	₹65+ lakh prize pool + internships & incubation

Strategic Significance

• Self-Reliance: Embedding VEGA processors in drones strengthens India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision.
• Civilian & Defence Applications: Shared core technologies benefit both sectors.
• Capacity Building: SwaYaan initiative has already trained over 51,000 people in drone technologies.
• Global Positioning: Positions India as a hub for drone innovation, reducing reliance on imported avionics.

Challenges Ahead

• Scaling indigenous chip adoption: Ensuring VEGA processors match global performance standards.
• Industry integration: Moving prototypes into commercial production requires strong incubation and funding.
• Global competition: India must balance innovation with international regulatory frameworks for drones.

Conclusion

NIDAR 2.0 represents a transformative leap in India’s drone ecosystem, shifting focus from airframes to autonomous intelligence and indigenous components. By centering innovation around the VEGA processor, MeitY and DFI are laying the foundation for a self-reliant drone industry that can serve both civilian and defence needs, aligning with the goals of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat @2047.

Ericsson Launches Nationwide 5G Innovation Challenge for Societal Impact

• The initiative seeks to accelerate the 5G ecosystem in India to build national capability in support of the country’s ‘Digital India’ Agenda.
• Open to startups, researchers, academic institutions and innovators nationwide. 
• Award winning solutions will be showcased at the India Mobile Congress 2026

Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) today announced the launch of its ‘Ericsson Innovation Challenge’, a nationwide initiative designed to identify and support innovative technology solutions that address critical societal challenges through the application of 5G and technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cloud and Internet-of-Things (IoT). Launched in partnership with IAN Mentoring and Incubation Services and TiE Delhi-NCR, the Ericsson Innovation Challenge seeks to bring together India's startup ecosystem, research community, academic institutions and technology innovators to develop and deploy solutions that can create measurable impact across sectors critical to the country's development.

This initiative has been specifically designed for India and forms part of Ericsson's global 150-year jubilee celebrations, reflecting the company's long-standing commitment to innovating to create positive societal impact.

The Ericsson Innovation Challenge will focus on solutions that address public-benefit challenges in areas such as rural technology and digital inclusion, healthcare access and diagnostics, climate and environmental sustainability, agricultural productivity and food security, and advanced manufacturing. Through the initiative, Ericsson aims to strengthen national capability – in building the use of 5G technologies while encouraging innovation that delivers meaningful outcomes for communities across India.

Nitin Bansal, Managing Director, Ericsson India, says, "For 150 years, Ericsson has pushed the boundaries of innovation to connect people, transform industries and positively impact the communities in which we operate. As we celebrate this milestone, we are proud to launch the Ericsson Innovation Challenge, an initiative that brings together innovators, researchers and entrepreneurs in India to leverage 5G technology in order to solve real-world challenges.”

“India has a dynamic innovation ecosystem that can leverage 5G and other emerging technologies to address critical needs across healthcare, agriculture, sustainability, manufacturing and digital inclusion. Through this initiative, we hope to support solutions that can deliver measurable impact, strengthen the 5G ecosystem and contribute to India's digital future", he added.

"At IAN, we have always backed founders who see opportunity where others see obstacles. The Ericsson Innovation Challenge does exactly that — it asks India's innovators to look at our most critical societal challenges and answer them with the power of 5G. As partners in this initiative, IAN brings not just capital but deep mentoring expertise to help the most promising solutions mature into ready investment ventures. We are delighted to provide a platform that connects these innovators with the support, guidance and networks they need to turn bold ideas into lasting impact.”- Padmaja Ruparel, Co-Founder- IAN Group and Senior Managing Partner - IAN Alpha Fund. 

“India's entrepreneurs have never lacked ambition — what they need is the right platform, the right mentors and the right moment. The Ericsson Innovation Challenge brings all three together. TiE Delhi-NCR is proud to partner in identifying and nurturing solutions that use 5G to address India's most pressing needs across healthcare, agriculture, sustainability, food security and digital inclusion. Through our mentorship network and rigorous jury process, we will help ensure that the ideas which rise to the top at India Mobile Congress 2026 are not just innovative, but ready to scale and create lasting impact." said Geetika Dayal, Director General, TiE Delhi-NCR. 

About the Ericsson Innovation Challenge

The Ericsson Innovation Challenge is open to researchers, faculty members, technology transfer offices, incubatees of recognised incubators, and Indian startups so that they can develop 5G technology solutions that are innovative, ready for deployment and have measurable societal impact in India. Participants will be evaluated by a high-profile jury on the potential societal impact, innovation, scalability and sustainability of their solution, as well as its alignment with the identified problem area selected by the participant.

Applications will open on 2nd July 2026 and close on 22nd July 2026. Following a multi-stage evaluation and mentoring process led by industry experts, investors and ecosystem leaders, shortlisted participants will gain access to mentorship, venture-building support and engagement opportunities with Ericsson and its partners, TiE Delhi-NCR and IAN. The top teams will showcase their solutions before industry leaders, policymakers, investors and technology experts, with the winners being recognized at the final awards ceremony at India Mobile Congress 2026.

Interested applicants can learn more about the eligibility criteria and application process for the Ericsson Innovation Challenge here

Hyundai Motor India Launches 2026 Innovation Challenge for EV, AI and Mobility Startups

• The Hyundai Innovation Challenge 2026 is a 6-month innovation initiative designed to partner with high-potential startups developing cutting-edge solutions across electrification, new mobility, connectivity, ADAS, AI-driven tools and next-generation vehicle technologies
• A unique platform to identify and bring together startups with innovative solutions in the automobile and mobility space
• Through this initiative, startups will get the opportunities to co-create future mobility solutions along with HMIL.
• Startups will also get access to HMIL’s robust ecosystem, expert guidance and PoC grants to transform ideas to reality
• Inviting startups to collaborate with Hyundai’s ecosystem and unlock market exposure along with commercialization opportunities
• Click here for details: Hyundai Innovation Challenge

Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) has announced the “Hyundai Innovation Challenge 2026,” a unique platform for high-potential startups. The innovation challenge is a six-month program aimed at partnering with startups developing cutting-edge solutions across electrification, new mobility, connectivity, ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems), AI-driven tools and next-generation vehicle technologies. The initiative is supported by Hyundai Motor Group’s global open innovation platform ZER01NE.

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Tarun Garg, MD & CEO - HMIL, said, "At HMIL, we strongly believe that the future of mobility will be shaped by collaboration, innovation and bold thinking. The Hyundai Innovation Challenge, curated in partnership with Hyundai Motor Group's ZER01NE team, is designed to bring together some of the brightest minds and most promising startups to co-create solutions that redefine mobility."

“Given India’s dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem and its growing influence on global innovation, the Hyundai Innovation Challenge is poised to bring new tech innovations to the world of mobility. At HMIL, we see startups as partners and co-creators of a smarter, more sustainable future. We are excited about the possibilities we can unlock together,” Mr. Garg added.

Startups can apply to the program until the end of June 2026 through the website managed by LINK Innovation, a global startup consulting and accelerator platform. The platform outlines 15 focus areas for the Hyundai Innovation Challenge 2026 challenge. However, startups are encouraged to submit innovative ideas having potential to deliver impactful solutions even if these ideas are beyond the listed focus areas.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis alongside the application timeline. The initial screening of applications will be evaluated based on various parameters. Shortlisted startups will undergo a detailed evaluation of their technology and product readiness, followed by a final pitch round to HMIL’s top management.

Selected startups will benefit from co-development opportunities, including Proof-of-Concept (PoC) grants, along with access to expert mentorship from HMIL specialists and potential exposure to the company’s customer ecosystem. The program also offers avenues for future investments and long-term strategic partnerships.

India Launches VYOMA Challenge to Drive Multilingual Edge AI Innovation

India has launched the VYOMA Innovation Challenge to accelerate multilingual, voice‑first AI solutions that work offline, aiming to strengthen digital inclusion across diverse languages and regions. The initiative offers prizes worth up to ₹80 lakh and deployment opportunities with government departments.

The challenge has been launched by the Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD), under the Digital India Corporation (DIC), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in collaboration with Current AI and Kalpa Impact.

The challenge builds on Sunno Sutra, a multilingual, voice-first, open-source handheld AI reference device jointly developed by BHASHINI and Current AI and unveiled at the IndiaAI Impact Summit 2026. Designed as a reference platform, Sunno Sutra combines multilingual language technologies with on-device AI capabilities, enabling conversational AI experiences across Indian languages without dependence on cloud infrastructure.

Launch of VYOMA Innovation Challenge

• Organizers: Digital India BHASHINI Division (MeitY), in collaboration with Current AI and Kalpa Impact.
• Objective: Promote open‑source, multilingual, voice‑first AI that functions in low‑connectivity or offline environments.
• Foundation: Builds on Sunno Sutra, a handheld multilingual AI device unveiled at the IndiaAI Impact Summit 2026.

Key Features

• Multilingual AI Infrastructure: Supports 36 Indian text languages, 23 voice languages, and 35 international languages.
• Offline Capability: Delivers conversational AI without cloud dependency, ensuring accessibility in rural and remote areas.
• Public Impact: Functions as digital public infrastructure, enabling inclusive access to services across India’s linguistic diversity.

Participation & Incentives

• Who Can Apply: Startups, MSMEs, researchers, students, academic institutions, and independent innovators.
• Support:
  • 20 shortlisted teams will receive developer kits and mentorship.
  • Finalists will present prototypes to an expert jury.
• Rewards: Winning teams eligible for ₹80 lakh in prizes and deployment opportunities with central and state governments.

Potential Applications

• Education: AI‑driven multilingual learning tools for schools in rural India.
• Healthcare: Voice‑enabled diagnostic and advisory systems in local languages.
• Agriculture: Offline AI assistants for farmers, offering crop and weather guidance.
• Governance: Citizen‑centric services accessible in native languages.

Strategic Impact

Focus Area	Benefit	Global Relevance
Digital Inclusion	Expands access to AI in low‑resource settings	Model for emerging economies
Multilingual AI	Supports 36 Indian + 35 global languages	Strengthens cross‑border collaboration
Offline AI	Works without internet/cloud	Critical for rural connectivity gaps
Open Source	Encourages innovation ecosystem	Aligns with global open‑tech movement

Challenges

• Hardware Optimization: Devices must be smaller, more efficient, and field‑ready.
• Scalability: Ensuring solutions can handle millions of users daily.
• Collaboration: Requires strong partnerships between startups, academia, and government.

Global Positioning

• India’s VYOMA Challenge positions the country as a leader in multilingual, offline AI innovation.
• Provides a blueprint for inclusive digital ecosystems worldwide.
• Reflects India’s ambition to make AI a public‑impact infrastructure, not just a commercial technology.

MeitY Launches ₹50 Lakh Blockchain India Challenge to Drive Digital Governance Innovation

Blockchain India Challenge, launched by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in February 2026, is a national initiative designed to accelerate blockchain-based digital governance solutions. Here’s a clear breakdown:

Key Highlights

• Organizer: MeitY in collaboration with the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC).
• Launch Date & Venue: February 23, 2026, New Delhi.
• Objective: Harness blockchain and Web3 innovation to improve citizen-centric digital governance services.

Competition Structure

• Prototype Stage
  • Prize: ₹1.5 lakh each
  • Up to 40 participants
• Minimum Viable Product (MVP) Stage
  • Prize: ₹4 lakh each
  • Up to 30 participants
• Deployment Stage
  • Prize: ₹10 lakh each
  • Up to 20 participants

🏆 Grand Winners: ₹50 lakh each, across 10 use case categories.

Focus Areas

• Citizen-centric solutions for governance
• Transparency and efficiency in public services
• Leveraging blockchain for secure, scalable, and trusted digital platforms

Why It Matters

• This initiative positions India as a global leader in blockchain adoption for governance.
• Empowers startups to pilot real-world solutions that could redefine how citizens interact with government services.
• It’s not just about tech—it’s about trust, accountability, and innovation in public systems.

The details are available at https://challenge.cdac.in

Bharat Nav‑Nirmaan Challenge 2025: NICMAR’s Nationwide Contest for Civil & Architecture Students

NICMAR, India’s premier and dedicated institution for Construction, Real Estate, Infrastructure and Project Management education (CRIP), has announced the launch of the Bharat Nav-Nirmaan Challenge, a nationwide initiative aimed at encouraging undergraduate students in solving real-world challenges linked to India’s built environment and nurture breakthrough ideas that can transform the country’s infrastructure landscape.

This one-of-a-kind challenge offers prizes worth Rs 30 lakh and is supported by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). The Bharat Nav-Nirmaan Challenge is open to students in Final and Pre-Final year of civil engineering, architecture, planning and allied disciplines across Indian colleges and universities. Designed as a structured, multi-stage programme, it provides participants with an opportunity to apply their technical learning to practical infrastructure issues while gaining exposure to the academic and industry ecosystem that supports India’s infrastructure development.

Welcoming the Bharat Nav-Nirmaan Challenge as an opportunity for budding students to bring their creative and practical knowledge in one platform, Dr Tapash Kumar Ganguli, Director General (Interim), NICMAR said, “India is entering its most ambitious decade of infrastructure expansion and the demand for skilled problem-solvers with engineering foundations has never been higher. The Bharat Nav-Nirmaan Challenge is our commitment to empower young minds to be part of our nation’s future infrastructure story. India needs innovative thinkers and this platform gives students a meaningful starting point to explore their interests and contribute ideas that align with the country’s development priorities.”

With free registration, student groups comprising of three members (pre-final or final year students), can apply through their colleges. Interdisciplinary approach is encouraged with the requirement of at least two members from civil engineering, architecture or allied disciplines. Participating student groups must submit a brief concept outlining their solution to an infrastructure-related problem.

The Challenge follows five structured stages, College-Level Round, Online Submission Round, City Finale, Regional Finale, and the Grand Finale which will be held in Mumbai. One winning team per college qualifies for the next round, where selected teams enter a national pool to submit detailed proposals. These proposals will form the first layer of evaluation for the jury. This is followed by the City Finales, hosted across key urban centres, where winners will progress to Regional Finales, hosted at NICMAR campuses in Pune, Hyderabad, and Delhi-NCR. One regional winner from each region will participate in the National Grand Finale in Mumbai.

The winners of the Bharat Nav-Nirmaan challenge will receive exciting set of rewards such as infrastructure excellence tour to Dubai, MacBooks, VR headsets, drone trophies and more.

Throughout the contest, participants will gain access to mentorship from NICMAR experts, workshops with engineers, planners, and innovation leaders. Submissions may focus on areas such as construction technology, sustainability, digital construction, mobility, housing, or urban development. Shortlisted teams will be paired with NICMAR faculty and industry mentors to refine their ideas and strengthen feasibility.

Women's World Banking Announces 2023 Fintech Innovation Challenge to Elevate Fintechs with New Solutions to Close the Gender Gap in Financial Services

Competition invites later stage fintechs pioneering innovative financial solutions for the low-income women's market to apply; finalists and winner to access premier fintech networks and resources

NEW YORK, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Women's World Banking announced today the 2023 Fintech Innovation Challenge, a global competition to highlight and advance solutions to close the gender gap through digital financial services. Now in its fourth year and the only women-centered fintechs competition, the Challenge will provide a platform for later stage fintechs working to address the persistent challenges in serving the low-income women's market.

According to the latest Global Findex Report, the number of women adopting digital financial services has risen dramatically since 2017, with the gender gap dropping from 9% to 6% in key emerging markets. But despite these advances, 742 million women are still excluded from the formal financial sector, and women are 31% more likely than men to have an inactive bank account.

Digital financial services can serve as an on-ramp for low-income women to adopt and use a large suite of formal financial products and services, expanding women's choices and their financial and economic resilience and empowerment. Low-income women represent a large, untapped market opportunity for digital financial services providers, particularly fintechs leveraging technology to close the gender gap in financial services.

"To achieve the promise of inclusive growth for the global economy, women need equal access to financial products, services, skills and technology," said Mary Ellen Iskenderian, President and CEO of Women's World Banking. "Fintechs are uniquely positioned to help close the digital financial services gap because they have the ability to provide products and services differently and can efficiently meet the needs of low-income women in ways that traditional financial services providers can't or won't."

Applications for the Challenge will be open from August 3 to September 15. Entry categories include, but are not limited to:

• Sending and receiving money
• Credit for women-led micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs)
• Safety net products (insurance, savings and pensions)
• Beyond money (financial and digital capabilities, and other business support services)

The top four finalists of the Challenge will participate in an in-person pitch competition next February in Dubai, and be fast-tracked for participation in the Women's Economic Empowerment Accelerator, powered by the Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship at Santa Clara University. They will also receive pitch advice and a UX design consultation. The Grand Prize winner will receive access to key 2023 fintech events like Point Zero, Elevandi Connects, and the Singapore Fintech Festival, as well as a speaker invitation at a Women's World Banking Making Finance Work for Women event.

All female-founded fintechs that make it to the top 12 of the competition will be selected for the first-ever Female Founders Circle, an exclusive network of like-minded female-founded fintechs, and will be promoted through a robust integrated communications, marketing and media campaign.

"Participating in the Women's World Banking Fintech Innovation Challenge drove us to learn more deeply how we can better serve our women customers," said Rachel Freeman, Chief Growth Officer at Tyme, a 2020 Fintech Innovation Challenge Winner. "It gave us global recognition at a crucial time in our expansion into the Asian market and during our recent capital raise, and we got valuable feedback from the judges that helped us refine our proposition."

The top twelve finalists and Female Founders Circle participants will be announced on October 26, with the top four finalists announced on January 9, 2023. The Grand Prize winner of the Fintech Innovation Challenge will be announced in Dubai, on February 16, 2023 following the pitch competition.

The Fintech Innovation Challenge is sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (Leading Sponsor) and Ernst & Young LLP (EY US and Advancing Sponsor). Women's World Banking's core funders are Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), and Visa Foundation.

About Women's World Banking

Women's World Banking designs and invests in financial solutions, institutions, and policy environments in emerging markets to create greater economic stability and prosperity for women, their families, and their communities. With a Global Network reach of 62 financial services providers in 35 countries serving more than 138 million women clients, Women's World Banking drives impact through its scalable, market-driven solutions; gender lens private equity fund; and leadership and diversity programs. To learn more visit womensworldbanking.org.

Media Contact: Kelsey Thompson: kelsey.thompson@porternovelli.com

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FTC Announces $25,000 Prize Money For Suggesting Ideas on How To Make ‘IoT’ More Secure

While IoT devices keep climbing the popularity charts and becoming more intrusive parts of our daily lives, the other thing which is growing at an almost equal pace along with it is the security and privacy concern associated with these internet-connected devices. In order to counter this, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced a $25,000 Internet of Things Home Inspector Challenge.

The basic concept behind coming up with the challenge is to encourage people to create a technical solution that home consumers could easily make use of protect themselves from the security vulnerabilities in their IoT devices. While the winner walks away with a price of $25,000, the three runner-up teams will also get $3,000 each.

According to tech experts, poor security is emerging to be a huge challenge because of poor design and human nature. A lot of devices currently in the market aren't designed well, when we see them from a security point of view of its users. For example: when it comes to passwords, many devices comes with very basic, universal, or completely absent default ones. In fact, there are even some devices that are hard-coded to accept only one password-or worse have none at all.

In the recent past, incidents of cars, security cameras and printers etc. being accessed remotely for criminal purposes or just to prove a point to someone have become a common news.

As far as human nature is concerned, all they expect these devices to do is to function smoothly. Let's take an example of something as common as home router, if the device is already out dated and vulnerable even even before it is taken out of the box, a majority of consumers neither know that they are required to update it nor, even if they do, how. The same can be extended to cars, door locks, watches, light bulbs, refrigerators, and more devices that would require non-automatic update, which most human beings simply won’t bother to do it. Instead they would prefer selling it and completely forgetting about it.

Hence, FTC aims to solve these two main challenges with the Internet of Things Home Inspector Challenge.

According to a statement given by FTC’s consumer protection bureau head Jessica Rich, every day American consumers are offered innovative new products and services to make their homes smarter. Now, the consumers not only want these devices to be smart but also to be secure. So, this is the reason that FTC has now turned to the public to help them in keeping these devices software up-to-date.

FTC will be accepting applications for the challenge from March 1 to May 22, 2017. After the first round of the competition concludes, up to 20 first-round submissions will be selected for further review and judging.