Department of Telecommunications Announces 5G Innovation Hackathon 2025 in India
Get ready to innovate! The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has officially launched the 5G Innovation Hackathon 2025, a dynamic six-month program designed to foster the development of cutting-edge 5G-powered solutions. This initiative aims to tackle societal and industrial challenges by empowering students, startups, and professionals across India.
What is the 5G Innovation Hackathon 2025?
This intensive program is structured to guide participants from the initial proposal stage to the final evaluation and showcase of their innovative prototypes. The core objective is to leverage the power of 5G technology to create impactful solutions.
Who Can Participate?
The 5G Innovation Hackathon 2025 is open to a wide range of enthusiastic individuals and entities, including:
- Undergraduate and postgraduate students
- Startups
- Professionals
What are the Key Benefits for Participants?
This hackathon offers a plethora of benefits to help participants bring their ideas to life:
- Mentorship: Gain invaluable guidance from industry experts.
- Funding: Selected teams in the Pragati Phase will receive ₹1,00,000 seed funding to develop their prototypes.
- Access to 5G Use Case Labs: Utilize over 100 state-of-the-art 5G Use Case Labs for development and testing.
- Testing Infrastructure: Refine your ideas with access to necessary testing resources.
- IPR Assistance: Receive support for filing Intellectual Property Rights to commercialize your innovations.
- Commercialization Support: Get guidance and resources to bring your solutions to the market.
Focus Areas for Innovation:
The hackathon encourages proposals focusing on key 5G applications, including but not limited to:
- AI-driven network maintenance
- IoT-enabled solutions
- 5G broadcasting
- Smart health
- Agriculture
- Industrial automation
- Non-terrestrial networks (NTN)
- D2M (Direct-to-Mobile)
- V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything)
- Quantum communication
Participants are encouraged to utilize advanced 5G features like network slicing, Quality of Service (QoS), and call-flow scenarios to address real-world problems effectively.
Programme Structure and Timeline:
The 5G Innovation Hackathon 2025 will unfold in several well-defined stages:
- Proposal Submission (March 15 - April 15, 2025): Participants submit their comprehensive ideas, outlining the problem, proposed solution, and expected impact. Each institution can recommend up to five proposals for DoT screening. Regional committees will then shortlist the best entries.
- Regional Shortlisting: Selected teams (150-200 proposals) receive guidance to enhance their ideas.
- Pragati Phase (June 15 - September 15, 2025): The top 25-50 teams progress and receive ₹1,00,000 each as seed funding to develop their prototypes over three months. They will benefit from mentorship and access to 5G Use Case Labs.
- Evaluation and Showcase (Late September 2025): Teams present their prototypes to a Technical Expert Evaluation Committee (TEEC) comprising experts from government, academia, and industry. The evaluation will be based on:
- Technical Execution (40%)
- Scalability & Market Readiness (40%)
- Societal & Industrial Impact (10%)
- Novelty (10%)
- Winner Announcement (October 1, 2025): The winners will be announced and the top teams will showcase their innovations at the prestigious India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025.
Awards and Recognition:
Winners will receive significant rewards and recognition:
- 1st Place: ₹5,00,000
- Runner-up: ₹3,00,000
- 2nd Runner-up: ₹1,50,000
- Special Mentions: ₹50,000 each for Best Idea and Most Innovative Prototype.
- Certificates of Appreciation: For 10 labs with the Best 5G Use Case and one for the Best Idea from an Emerging Institute.
Impact and Objectives:
Supported by a substantial budget of ₹21.5 crore, the hackathon aims to achieve significant outcomes, including:
- Developing over 50 scalable 5G prototypes
- Generating 25+ patents
- Strengthening collaboration between academia, industry, and government
- Supporting the creation of new startups
Key Dates to Remember:
- Proposal Submission: March 15 - April 15, 2025
- Announcement of Final Winners: October 1, 2025
Conclusion:
The 5G Innovation Hackathon 2025 presents a fantastic opportunity for India's bright minds to contribute to the nation's 5G leadership. By fostering collaboration and innovation, this initiative will bridge the gap between lab research and market-ready solutions. If you have a groundbreaking idea leveraging the power of 5G, don't miss this chance to turn it into reality!
Stay tuned for more updates and details on how to apply!
