Career & Entrepreneurship
Create pathways for future careers, inclusion and entrepreneurship opportunities.
Seva First Innovation Challenge 2026
What
is SEVA FIRST
Innovation Challenge 2026?
Seva First Innovation Challenge (SFIC) 2026 is a national platform that empowers India's youth to identify real problems in their own surroundings and transform them into sustainable, affordable and implementable solutions. Launched at Delhi Technological University on 19 September 2026, the Challenge brings together students, researchers, educational institutions, industry, government and mentors to take innovations from problem identification and ideation to design, prototyping, validation and implementation. Rooted in the spirit of Seva First, SFIC seeks to nurture innovation, leadership and entrepreneurship while creating solutions that deliver meaningful impact for communities and the nation.
Participation Benefits
Learn|Connect|Create|Make an Impact
Seva First Motto
Imbibe the spirit of Seva First in service of the nation.
Problem-Solving
Develop innovation and problem-solving skills in service of the local community.
₹
Prize Pool
Award money of ₹2 Cr.
Networking
Connect with faculty, experts, industry, government and other innovators.
Recognition
Gain national visibility, recognition and exposure.
Confidence
Build confidence, leadership and teamwork skills.
Participation Benefits
Learn|Connect|Create|Make an Impact
Career & Entrepreneurship
Create pathways for future careers, inclusion and entrepreneurship opportunities.
Seva First Motto
Imbibe the spirit of Seva First in service of the nation.
Problem-Solving
Develop innovation and problem-solving skills in service of the local community.
₹
Prize Pool
Award money of ₹2 Cr.
Networking
Connect with faculty, experts, industry, government and other innovators.
Recognition
Gain national visibility, recognition and exposure.
Confidence
Build confidence, leadership and teamwork skills.
₹
Grand Challenge Innovation Grants & Awards
Total Prize Money of ₹2 Crore
Click to celebrate!
THEMES
The Seva First Innovation Challenge 2026 focuses on two broad themes:
National Level Innovations addressing critical national priorities in Defence, Space & National Security, Disaster Management, AI, Robotics, Manufacturing, Energy, Environment, Infrastructure and Future Mobility
Local Community Level Innovations addressing grassroots challenges in Agriculture & Rural Development, Education, Healthcare, Urban Problems, Environment, Sports, Employment & Livelihood, Women & Child Safety, Disaster Management, Transport, Energy and Tourism. The themes encourage youth to develop innovative, affordable, sustainable, scalable and implementable solutions that transform real-world problems into meaningful impact.
TimelineOF SEVA FIRST INNOVATION CHALLENGE 2026 JOURNEY
01
19 Sep 2026 – until the Screening Stage closesIdeate
Launch of problem statements, online orientation, team registrations, and idea submissions.
02
2 Oct 2026 onwardsScreen - I & II
Preliminary scrutiny, eligibility check, technical assessment, and announcement of shortlisted teams.
03
12 Oct 2026 onwardsBuild & Evaluate
Expert bootcamps, laboratory/maker-space access, design reviews, prototype development, and technical evaluation.
04
11 Nov 2026 onwardsValidate & Test
Field demonstrations in real environments, safety/reliability testing, and performance validation.
05
20 Nov 2026 onwardsFinal Select
Final report submissions, prototype demonstrations, National Jury evaluation, and finalist selection.
06
Date to be declaredResult Declaration
National Innovation Exhibition, Grand Finale, and official declaration and distribution of awards & prizes.
01
02
03
04
05
06
01Ideate
19 Sep 2026 – until the Screening Stage closes
Launch of problem statements, online orientation, team registrations, and idea submissions.
02Screen - I & II
2 Oct 2026 onwards
Preliminary scrutiny, eligibility check, technical assessment, and announcement of shortlisted teams.
03Build & Evaluate
12 Oct 2026 onwards
Expert bootcamps, laboratory/maker-space access, design reviews, prototype development, and technical evaluation.
04Validate & Test
11 Nov 2026 onwards
Field demonstrations in real environments, safety/reliability testing, and performance validation.
05Final Select
20 Nov 2026 onwards
Final report submissions, prototype demonstrations, National Jury evaluation, and finalist selection.
06Result Declaration
Date to be declared
National Innovation Exhibition, Grand Finale, and official declaration and distribution of awards & prizes.
Important Notices
LIVE ANNOUNCEMENTS
Stay updated with recent circulars, dates, and official notices.
Live
STATISTICS
| S.No | Details | Entries |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DTU Portal Total Team Registrations | 0 |
| 2 | Unstop Portal Total Team Registration | 8,424** |
| Total | 8,424 | |
** Migration to DTU Portal in progress
Entries by Level
0%National
National (0%)
Local (0%)
Team Entries
Total Participants
Organizing Committee
Patrons
Shri Narendra Modi
Hon'ble Prime Minister of India
Smt. Rekha Gupta
Hon'ble Chief Minister of Delhi
Shri Ashish Sood
Hon'ble Minister of Education of Delhi
Prof. Prateek Sharma
Patron & Vice Chancellor
Coordinators
Prof. (Col) K.C. Tiwari
Coordinator-1
Prof. Girish Kumar
Coordinator-2
Development Team
Faculty
Prof. Shailender Kumar
Head, Computer Center
Kaustubh Ranjan Singh
Design and Development Head
Dr. Anamika Chauhan
Co-Coordinator
Dr. Trasha Gupta
Co-Coordinator
Dr. Anshul Arora
Co-Coordinator
Mr. Vikas
System Manager, Computer Center
Students
Vedant Singh
Daksh Panchal
Narayan Mishra
Ankit Kumar Roy
Afroz Hadil Pookkodan
Suraj Jaiswal
Ayush Kumar
Ilisha Dabas
Sudhanshu Shekhar
Soumya Saurav Das
Mentors
AVM Pawan Kumar (Retd.)
Indian Air Force
Lt Gen RS Raman (Retd.)
Indian Army
Dr. D S Arya
ex Scientist ISRO
Dr. Tapan Mishra
Ex Scientist ISRO
Dr. Surendra Pal
Ex Scientist ISRO
Dr. Debopriya Dutta (Retd)
DST
Prof. Kamal Jain
IIT-Roorkee
Prof. S. K. Ghosh (Retd.)
IIT Roorkee
Bindu Dey
Adviser (Retd.) DST
Dr. Pushpendra Singh
Health Tech Expert and Advisor
Mani Raman Subra
Peachtree management Advisor
Ashish Banerjee
Technology & Fintech Specialist
Navin Gaur
COO, IIITD Innovation & Incubation Center
Saurabh Jain
Founder, Fun2Do Labs
Ashish Jain
Founder & CEO, The Startup Board
Dr. V.K. Arora
CEO, IGDTUW Anveshan Foundation
Vimal Kumar Varun
Ministry of Science & Technology
Sanjay Diwan
Advisor & Mentor
Shantanu Chaturvedi
Partner, Transition VC
Pulkit Baldev
Co-Founder, Metalbook (DTU Alumnus)
Rajeev Sharma
CXO, Offgrid Energy Labs
Rohet Sareen
Digital Head & Strategic Initiatives Advisor
Rounaq Mustafa
Startup Ecosystem Leader, Incubation Expert, and Academician
Proudly Associated With
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