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

TiE Delhi-NCR Launches Digital Platform for On-Demand Educational Content for Startups

Building on its commitment to empowering startups through education and knowledge-sharing, TiE Delhi-NCR has recently announced the launch of TiE Institute Online. The move aims to facilitate on-demand educational content for startups besides enabling them to remotely connect with mentors and experts irrespective of their geographical location.

In the current scheme of things, this development also brings much-needed succour to the quarantined venture builders by connecting them with experienced industry stakeholders and experts through a series of courses & webinars.

As an organization at the forefront of India’s entrepreneurial revolution, TiE Delhi-NCR has been providing entrepreneurs with the right guidance, mentorship, networking and funding opportunities that are critical for a business in its nascent stages.

To achieve this objective, the organisation leverages its strong mentor support base and provides a knowledge-sharing platform where aspiring entrepreneurs can learn from experienced industry stakeholders. ‘TiE Institute Online’ is the manifest pTiEroduct of its mission. The online institute’s faculty comprises renowned startup founders, professionals, investors, and seasoned entrepreneurs.

“In the post-pandemic world, the integration of digital tools for carrying out everyday business activities will become a new normal. As a pioneering organisation focused on empowering young innovators in the country, we have launched ‘TiE Institute Online’ to stay ahead of the digital curve,” Geetika Dayal, Executive Director, TiE Delhi-NCR, commented. “Entrepreneurs can access this knowledge bank anytime, anywhere by enrolling for courses on TiE Institute Online hosted on the Knorish platform. They will also benefit from the vast wealth of experience and expertise of the faculty comprising top industry stakeholders.

The initiative is aimed at enabling innovators with answers to their ecosystem-related queries, be it concerning the accessibility of funds, attracting the right investor, or devising an effective business plan that will help them overcome all odds – all at the click of a button!"

With this development, TiE Delhi-NCR further underscores its commitment to supporting the startup ecosystem to unlock its maximum potential.. Some of the online courses that entrepreneurs can look forward to attend include ‘Consumer Brands in times of COVID 19’ featuring Rajan Anandan, President, TiE Delhi-NCR & MD, Sequoia Capital and Kanwaljit Singh Founder & Managing Partner,Fireside Ventures | ‘Writing An Awesome Business Plan For Fundraising’ by Ashish Kashyap, Founder, IndWealth, Goibibo, RedBus & PayU; ‘Demystifying Fundraising’ by Sandeep Aggarwal, Founder, ShopClues & Droom & many more.

TiE is a global not-for-profit organisation dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship through mentoring, networking, education, incubation and funding. It is spread across a vast network of 61 Chapters in 14 countries. TiE Delhi-NCR is among the most active and vibrant chapters across the vast TiE network. In the last 20 years, it has continuously taken the lead in creating an increasingly positive ecosystem for entrepreneurs and investors. With a strong mentor support base, marquee events and focused workshops throughout the year it has emerged as one of the most valuable platforms supporting entrepreneurship, nationally. TiE has a wide range of programs including TiE Global Summit, TiEcon, Startup Expo, Special Interest Groups (SIGs) across sectors, TiE Institute & TiE Young Entrepreneurs. For more details, visit www.delhi.tie.org