2nd NextGen Hackathon 2026 — Online Contest, ₹1.6L Prizes — Frequently Asked Questions

The total prize pool is $1,750, and the listing values the awards at up to ₹1.6L. The winner takes $1,000, the first runner-up receives $500 and the second runner-up gets $250. Every team that reaches the finals also receives a Certificate of Recognition.

The hackathon is open to university students at undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral level, to working professionals and to technology enthusiasts. There is no age bar and no educational background requirement, so people from engineering, design, business, sciences and other fields can all enter.

No. Participation is strictly team-based, with each team made up of 2 to 4 members, so solo entries are not accepted. Teams that combine members from different colleges or different organisations are allowed and are actively encouraged.

Registration closes on 12 August 2026. The hackathon itself is a two-day event held entirely online, and the deadline applies to signing up and submitting your idea through the official website.

It is completely online. Registration, idea submission, mentoring and the final presentations all take place over the internet, so teams can take part from wherever they are based.

No. This is a prize competition, not an equity investment or a loan scheme. The cash awards are prize money, so no stake is taken in a team and nothing has to be repaid.

Teams can pick from tracks such as AI for Social Good, GreenTech & Climate Action, Web 3.0 & Decentralized Applications, Future of Mobility and Cybersecurity for the future, among others.

Round 1 requires a concept proposal in PDF or PPT format that covers the problem statement, the proposed solution, the target users, the technology stack and the development plan.

Round 1 is judged on novelty, clarity, feasibility and potential impact. In the final round, the panel looks at innovation and creativity, impact and relevance, technical implementation, user experience (UX/UI) and presentation clarity, after the live demo and pitch.

No. The published eligibility is built around being a student or a working professional and forming a team of 2 to 4 members; no company registration, DPIIT recognition or MSME status is listed as a requirement. Entries are submitted through the official hackathon website at https://nextgen2026.thescrs.org/.

Apply directly through the official application link on this page. Review the eligibility criteria and prepare your startup documents before you begin.