Grand Challenge 5 — Up to ₹15L Grant for Power Sector Innovators

Grand Challenge 5 is an innovation challenge aimed at the electricity distribution sector, run by the Centre of Excellence on IIoT Sensors & Maker Village under the Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management Kerala (IIITM-K). It is delivered jointly with the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) and the Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (C-MET).

The challenge hunts for smart, workable answers to two specific operational problems: monitoring the temperature of distribution transformers, and monitoring transformer THD (total harmonic distortion) and imbalance current. Both sit at the centre of grid reliability — transformers that overheat fail, and poor power quality destabilises supply for everyone downstream.

There is no fixed closing date. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, so founders and research teams can apply whenever their proposal is ready. Registered startups, established companies and R&D institutions are all welcome, and the strongest proposals can receive grant support of up to ₹15 Lakhs.

What separates this programme from a typical grant call is that the state electricity board is a partner rather than a distant funder. Selected teams get an environment where their technology can be validated against real grid conditions, guidance from domain experts, and a realistic route towards adoption inside Kerala's power infrastructure. For an entrepreneur or researcher working on energy innovation, that combination of funding plus deployment access is the real prize.

• Grant support of up to ₹15 Lakhs for selected solutions
• Two challenge areas: transformer temperature monitoring, and transformer THD and imbalance current monitoring
• Open to registered startups, established companies and R&D institutions
• Run by Maker Village / IIITM-K with KSEB and C-MET
• Rolling applications — no fixed deadline
• Includes real-world technology validation, mentorship and incubation support

Grand Challenge 5 is open to three broad groups of applicants:

• Registered startups — ventures with a formal registration that want to pilot or scale a product for the electricity distribution sector.
• Companies — established firms holding an existing technology they intend to adapt for grid use.
• R&D institutions — research organisations working on sensor, IIoT or power quality problems.

There is one condition that decides everything else: your solution must address one of the two challenge areas — transformer temperature monitoring or transformer THD and imbalance current monitoring. The programme is built around the operational needs of power distribution, so a proposal outside these areas will not fit.

The published criteria do not name a home state requirement, and they do not make DPIIT or MSME registration a condition of entry. Founder-level requirements are also not specified. What the challenge is really screening for is the relevance and strength of your proposed solution.

Grand Challenge 5 — Up to ₹15L Grant for Power Sector Innovators is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.

Grand Challenge 5 — Up to ₹15L Grant for Power Sector Innovators accepts applications on a rolling basis — there is no fixed cut-off date, so eligible startups can apply at any time. Because rolling programmes can pause without notice, confirm the window is still open on the official site before you start.

Selected participants receive grant support of up to ₹15 Lakhs. The money is a grant — non-repayable and equity-free — which means you are not handing over a stake in your venture to take it. It is intended to fund the development and refinement of the smart technology you proposed.

• Cash grant of up to ₹15 Lakhs for promising solutions in the challenge areas.
• Collaboration with KSEB — the Kerala State Electricity Board, the organisation that actually runs the grid your solution targets.
• Collaboration with C-MET — the Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology.
• Technology validation in real-world conditions rather than a lab simulation.
• Mentorship from experts across IIITM-K, KSEB, C-MET and the wider industry.
• Incubation support and market access through the Maker Village ecosystem.

The financial award is only part of the package. The programme is designed so that a working technology can move towards integration into the state's power infrastructure, which is why the non-financial support — validation, expert guidance, industry engagement — is structured around deployment rather than around a demo.

Grand Challenge 5 — Up to ₹15L Grant for Power Sector Innovators is offered by Maker Village, a government body. As a government-backed competition, it is publicly funded and open to eligible startups across India. You can verify current details and timelines on the provider's official website before applying.

Every application is reviewed by a selection committee made up of experts from IIITM-K, KSEB and C-MET, along with other industry specialists where needed.

The committee assesses each proposal on five things:

• How innovative the solution is.
• Whether it is technically feasible.
• The impact it could have on power distribution.
• Whether it can scale.
• The capability of the team behind it.

Shortlisted applicants may be invited to present their solution or take part in an interview round, where they can expand on their proposal and answer the committee's questions. Final selection goes to the solutions with the greatest potential to transform the power sector.

The applicant's own journey follows clear stages: read the two challenge areas and confirm your fit, prepare a comprehensive proposal covering the technical details, implementation plan, expected impact and team capabilities, complete the online application form and attach whatever supporting material is asked for, submit it through the online portal, then go through expert evaluation and shortlisting. Successful applicants are selected at the end of that process, and grant support is disbursed according to the programme's terms and milestones.

Before you apply to Grand Challenge 5 — Up to ₹15L Grant for Power Sector Innovators, 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.

Grand Challenge 5 — Up to ₹15L Grant for Power Sector Innovators is best suited for startups in India seeking non-dilutive funding of ₹15L. If that describes your startup, review the eligibility criteria above before applying.