Ascendant Agents — ₹22,000 GenAI Hackathon by D'Code NSUT
Generative AI hackathon by D'Code NSUT in New Delhi. Teams of 2–4 build autonomous AI agents for a share of the ₹22,000 prize pool. Entries close August 16, 2026.
- Funding amount
- ₹22,000 (competition)
- Funding type
- Competition
- Application deadline
- Closed (16 Aug 2026)
- Eligible stage
- Any stage
- Location
- Open to startups registered in India
Overview
Ascendant Agents is a generative AI hackathon run by D'Code NSUT — the coding and technology community at Netaji Subhas University of Technology, Delhi. It sits inside the college's Oblivion'26 event line-up and is hosted on Unstop.
The brief pushes teams past ordinary app building. Entrants are asked to design AI-first products built around autonomous agents: systems that can reason, plan, collaborate and take on practical problems with very little human hand-holding.
Students and early-stage builders who already work with generative AI, agentic systems or autonomous workflows are the intended audience. Entries are submitted by 2–4 person teams.
The competition stretches across two rounds between July 21 and August 22, 2026, with an offline final in New Delhi. A ₹22,000 cash pool is split across the top three teams, and registration closes on August 16, 2026. No registration fee is mentioned.
Highlights
- Generative AI hackathon by D'Code NSUT, part of Oblivion'26
- ₹22,000 total prize pool — ₹10,000 / ₹7,000 / ₹5,000 for the top three teams
- Open to teams of 2–4 students and early-stage builders
- Two rounds between July 21 and August 22, 2026, with an offline final in New Delhi
- Register on Unstop by August 16, 2026
Who can apply
-
Open to students and early-stage builders with an interest in generative AI, agentic systems and autonomous workflows.
-
Entries must come from a team of two to four members.
-
No geographic restriction is specified. The competition is hosted on Unstop from India, and Indian participants are welcome.
-
There is no stated requirement for DPIIT or MSME registration, a registered company or any particular entity type.
-
No registration fee is mentioned, so there is no cost to entering.
Ascendant Agents — ₹22,000 GenAI Hackathon by D'Code NSUT is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.
- Eligible stage
- Any stage
- Location
- Open to startups registered in India
Deadline & timing
The most recent application window for Ascendant Agents — ₹22,000 GenAI Hackathon by D'Code NSUT closed on 16 Aug 2026. Many programmes run repeat cohorts, so it is worth checking the official site for the next round.
What the funding covers
Cash prizes worth a total of ₹22,000 go to the three strongest teams:
- 1st place — ₹10,000
- 2nd place — ₹7,000
- 3rd place — ₹5,000
Every winning team also receives a certificate.
These are competition prizes rather than an investment, so the organisers make no mention of taking equity from winners.
How to apply
Applications are submitted on the . Confirm the current deadline and document checklist there before you start.
Selection process
Ascendant Agents runs over two rounds between July 21 and August 22, 2026.
- Round 1 is likely to be submission-based and held online, where teams send in their agentic AI builds.
- Round 2 is an offline final round in New Delhi.
Submissions are assessed on four criteria: how innovative the idea is, the technical complexity of the build, the real-world impact it could deliver, and how genuinely autonomous the agentic system turns out to be.
Documents you’ll need
Before you apply to Ascendant Agents — ₹22,000 GenAI Hackathon by D'Code NSUT, keep the following documents ready:
- A pitch deck or short business plan describing the problem, product and traction
- Company registration documents and PAN
- Founder identification (PAN / Aadhaar) and brief profiles
- Recent financial statements or projections
- Product details — a demo, prototype or working link if available
Exact requirements are confirmed on the official application portal — treat this as a preparation checklist.
Who this is best for
Ascendant Agents — ₹22,000 GenAI Hackathon by D'Code NSUT is best suited for startups in India seeking non-dilutive funding of ₹22,000. If that describes your startup, review the eligibility criteria above before applying.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly is Ascendant Agents?
It is a generative AI hackathon organised by D'Code NSUT, the coding and technology community of Netaji Subhas University of Technology in Delhi. The event is part of Oblivion'26 and is hosted on Unstop. Teams are asked to build AI-first products powered by autonomous agents that can reason, plan, collaborate and solve practical problems with minimal human intervention.
How much money can a winning team take home?
The total cash pool is ₹22,000. The first-placed team receives ₹10,000, the runner-up gets ₹7,000 and the third-placed team earns ₹5,000. On top of the cash, all winners are given certificates.
What is the last date to register?
Registration closes on August 16, 2026. The wider hackathon window runs from July 21 to August 22, 2026, so it is worth registering well before the deadline to leave time for the first-round submission.
Who is allowed to participate?
Ascendant Agents is aimed at students and early-stage builders who are interested in generative AI, agentic systems and autonomous workflows. There is no stated geographic restriction — the competition is hosted on Unstop from India, so Indian participants are welcome. The only hard requirement is that you enter as a team of two to four members.
Do I need DPIIT recognition, MSME registration or a registered company?
No. The organisers list no DPIIT or MSME requirement, and no company or entity type is mandated either. This is a student-facing hackathon, so the eligibility bar is simply a team of two to four members with an interest in agentic AI.
Does the programme take equity in my project?
No equity arrangement is mentioned anywhere. The rewards here are competition prizes and certificates rather than an investment, so winning does not hand the organisers a stake in anything you build.
What kind of projects should we build?
The hackathon encourages AI-first ideas that go beyond conventional applications. Suggested directions include autonomous research assistants, AI copilots, multi-agent ecosystems and workflow automation, though the organisers also welcome any groundbreaking innovation that shows off what modern AI can really do. The unifying thread is autonomy — the agent should be doing the work, not a human clicking through screens.
How will our submission be judged?
Four things carry weight: the innovation behind the idea, the technical complexity of what you built, the real-world impact it could have, and the degree of autonomy in your agentic system. Building something genuinely agentic, rather than a thin wrapper around a chatbot, is likely to matter most.
How is the hackathon structured?
There are two rounds. The first round is likely to be an online, submission-based stage. The second is an offline final round held in New Delhi. The full event runs from July 21 to August 22, 2026.
Is there a registration fee, and how do I apply?
No registration fee is mentioned. Applications go through the Unstop listing for Ascendant Agents — Oblivion'26 by D'Code NSUT, and you need to complete your registration before the August 16, 2026 deadline.
Who is eligible to apply for Ascendant Agents — ₹22,000 GenAI Hackathon by D'Code NSUT?
Ascendant Agents — ₹22,000 GenAI Hackathon by D'Code NSUT is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.
Alternatives to Ascendant Agents — ₹22,000 GenAI Hackathon by D'Code NSUT
Not sure Ascendant Agents — ₹22,000 GenAI Hackathon by D'Code NSUT is the right fit, or already applied? These are other grants open to Indian startups that founders shortlist alongside it.
Questions from founders
Ask anything about eligibility, documents or the process — answered by the community.
No questions yet — be the first to ask.