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Building India's Maker Generation
Vishwakarma Awards 2026 - 27
India's National Hardware Challenge for STEM & Design Graduates.
Built for engineers who build
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Your idea doesn’t have to be perfect.
It just has to start.
Here’s what you should know before you apply for Vishwakarma Awards 2026-27
Have more than one idea?
Vishwakarma Awards gives you the freedom to explore, expand and excel.
You can apply with multiple ideas, across multiple themes and even be part of multiple teams.
Don’t eliminate your idea before we do.
Is your idea still rough?
The Vishwakarma Awards gives you a 6-month journey to build, test, iterate and improve with top university mentors to guide your journey
What’s in it for you?
9 Themes. 3 Institutes. What will you build?
This year's challenge spans health, energy, cities, resilience, diagnostics and next-gen interaction — each theme mentored by a premier Indian institution.
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IIT Indore
Build for better health.
Build for a more inclusive world.
Make AI work in the physical world.
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IIT Hyderabad
Build the energy systems of tomorrow.
Make mining safer, smarter, more sustainable.
Build cities ready for what's next.
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Ashoka University
Build for the moments that matter most.
Detect what we can't measure today.
What comes after the screen?
Inclusion Partner
Build your team
Form a multidisciplinary team of 2–5 students.
Pick a challenge
Choose an innovation theme and apply with your idea.
Prototype
Design and build a working hardware prototype.
Test
Refine and validate your solution with mentor support.
Present
Showcase your prototype to a national jury.
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Tackle a Thematic, Industry-Focused Challenge
Work on a real-world problem and turn your idea into a practical solution with the potential for real-world impact.
Build a Working Hardware Prototype
Move beyond presentations and demonstrate what your idea can actually do.
Collaborate across disciplines
Bring together different skills, perspectives and ways of thinking.
Get national visibility
The Awards are designed to surface engineering talent from institutions across India.
Have an idea worth building?
Vishwakarma Awards
The Vishwakarma Awards is Maker Bhavan Foundation's national hardware thematic innovation challenge for student teams, built for engineers who want to take on real problems and create solutions that can make a difference.
Your journey takes you through application, design, prototyping and the final bootcamp, where the top teams get the opportunity to work on thematic problem statements from the industry and showcase their functional prototypes to a jury.
Vishwakarma Awards 2026-27 runs under the mentorship and guidance of three of India's premier institutions, each anchoring specific thematic tracks: IIT Indore, IIT Hyderabad and Ashoka University. The Assistive Solutions & Inclusive Living track runs in partnership with EnAble India.
What will you build?
Innovation themes
This year’s challenges span health, AI, energy, cities, sustainability, resilience and next-generation human-computer interaction.
Choose a problem that excites you. Then build a solution that could change it.
IIT Indore
Health Tech
From life-sustaining hardware and emergency response to remote monitoring and menstrual health technologies
- Therapeutic & Life-Sustaining Hardware
- Rehabilitation & Physical Therapy Aids
- Emergency Response & Remote Monitoring
- Maternal, Adolescent & Menstrual Health Tech
- Mental Health & Biofeedback Tools
Assistive Solutions & Inclusive Living (EnAble India)
Smart mobility, adaptive technology, prosthetics, assistive vision and hearing, and accessible everyday living. Run in partnership with EnAble India.
- Smart Mobility Aids & Adaptive Transport
- Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC) Hardware
- Prosthetics, Orthotics & Physical Assistance Tools
- Sensory Augmentation & Assistive Vision/Hearing Tech
- Cognitive, Executive & Learning Support Tools
- Sensory Regulation, Autism & Emotional Wellbeing Hardware
AI in Hardware & Manufacturing
Smarter machines through robotics, computer vision, predictive maintenance, digital twins and edge AI.
- Predictive Maintenance & Machine Diagnostics
- Computer Vision & Smart Quality Inspection
- Intelligent Robotics & Collaborative Automation
- Generative Design & Digital Twins
- Edge AI & On-Chip Processing
- Worker Safety & Hazard Prevention Systems
IIT Hyderabad
Sustainable Energy
Energy harvesting, storage, smart grids, power electronics and regenerative charging.
- Renewable Energy Harvesting & Generation Systems
- Next-Gen Battery & Energy Storage Innovation
- Smart Grids & Decentralized Power Distribution
- Energy-Efficient Circuitry & Power Electronics
- Solar & Regenerative Charging Infrastructure
Sustainable Mining
Autonomous exploration, worker safety, resource efficiency, material handling and ecosystem restoration.
- Worker Health, Safety & Environmental Hazard Tracking
- Autonomous Subterranean & Rough-Terrain Exploration
- Ore Sorting & Material Handling Automation
- Ecosystem Restoration & Waste Upcycling
- Energy & Resource Efficiency in Heavy Equipment
Sustainable Cities
Urban infrastructure, waste, clean water, air quality, mobility and climate resilience.
- Smart Urban Infrastructure & Asset Tracking
- Waste Management & Circular Economy Hardware
- Clean Water, Sanitation & Air Quality Monitoring
- Micro-Mobility & Public Transit Integration
- Climate Risk Adaptation & Urban Resilience
Ashoka University
Physical AI for Resilience and Inclusion
Disaster response, search and rescue, drones, first-responder wearables, infrastructure inspection and precision agriculture.
- AI for Inclusive Living
- AI for Disaster Resilience
- AI for Public Safety and Frontline Responders
- Autonomous Search, Rescue & Tactical Robotics
- Precision AgriTech & AI-Driven Farming Hardware
Frontier Diagnostics: The Next Vital Signs
New approaches to physiological sensing, computational imaging, non-invasive diagnostics and personal health instrumentation.
- Novel Physiological Measurements
- Computational Imaging
- Multimodal Human Sensing
- Non-Invasive Diagnostics
- Everyday Instrumentation
- Open Personal Diagnostics
HCI 2.0: Designing Interaction Beyond Chat
Spatial computing, haptic hardware, bio-signal control, ambient interfaces and next-generation input/output systems.
- Spatial Computing & Intent-Driven Physical Interfaces
- Tangible, Haptic & Multi-Modal Interfaces
- Agentic Hardware & Embodied Intelligent Systems
Who can apply?
Eligibility
Got a problem you want to solve? Get your team together.
Teams of 2–5 students from recognised STEM and Design colleges or universities across India can apply. Multidisciplinary teams are encouraged.
Your solution must have a significant hardware component and be demonstrable at the finals.
A minimum of 2 and maximum of 5 students per team
Apply nowStudents per team
Recognised STEM & Design institutions
A working, demonstrable prototype
Multidisciplinary teams welcome
Must be an enrolled student in Bachelors, Masters, or PhD programmes
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The problem is real. The question is: what will you build?
Build with a national network
Your challenge. Your team. Your prototype. And a platform that brings student innovators together across leading institutions. The Vishwakarma Awards brings together host institutes and student teams from across India, creating a space to collaborate, prototype and showcase ambitious hardware solutions.
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ABOUT
MAKER BHAVAN FOUNDATION
Maker Bhavan Foundation (MBF) is transforming engineering education in India by creating opportunities for students to build, make, experiment and innovate.
Our belief is simple: every engineering graduate should know how to build. Not just solve equations or pass examinations, but take an idea, work with their hands, iterate through failure, and arrive at something real. This is the maker and innovation mindset, and it is what India's economy needs next.
Since 2019, MBF has worked with engineering institutions, governments and national bodies to build spaces and programmes where students can experiment, prototype and turn ideas into real-world solutions.
We believe India’s next generation of engineers will not just learn to solve the problems of today, they will build the solutions of tomorrow.
Maker Bhavan Foundation exists to make that possible.
From Tinkerers' Labs to InventX to the Vishwakarma Awards, MBF creates platforms that take student ideas from concept to prototype and beyond. We want every engineering graduate to know how to build — a product, an argument, a company, a solution India needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can apply to the Vishwakarma Awards?
Teams of 2 to 5 undergraduate, postgraduate, or PhD students from any recognised engineering or technology institution are eligible. Faculty may be part of the team as mentors only. The team lead must be a student.
Are non-STEM students eligible?
No
What kind of ideas/projects are eligible?
- Adhere to one of the Vishwakarma themes (including sub-themes)
- Solve a real-world problem
- Include a hardware component
- Result in a working prototype demonstrated at the finals
- Pure software-only or theoretical solutions are not eligible.
- Prior research work by a student team will not be recognized. Teams will be judged on the specific prototyping work they did during the competition.
Can we submit an idea we’ve already worked on before?
Only work done during the program timeline will be evaluated. Prior research or builds won’t be considered.
How do I apply?
Applications are now open. You’ll need to submit:
- An online form
- A written problem statement and proposed solution (Word document). Format given in the application form.
- A valid college ID
When will we find out if we are selected? How will we find out? Will you let us know If we are not selected?
You’ll receive an email update by the result date given in the schedule for every round, if your team is selected for the next stage. If you are not selected, you’ll still regret communication. Please ensure your application includes a valid and regularly-checked email ID.
Program structure & stages
What are the different stages of the Vishwakarma Awards?
Teams of 2 to 5 undergraduate, postgraduate, or PhD students from any recognised engineering or technology institution are eligible. Faculty may be part of the team as mentors only. The team lead must be a student.
What is the full timeline of the program?
Do we need to travel during the program?
Yes, finalist teams will attend an in-person bootcamp and finale
Will our stay be covered?
Yes. We provide accommodation + meals during the bootcamp and finale for two students per team.
Do we need to pay any additional fees?
No, additional on-ground fees are required to be paid to MBF.
Travel & participation logistics
Do we need to travel? What are the dates and rules?
Yes, only finalist teams will travel to the host institute for the bootcamp and finale:
- Arrival will be based on the theme you have applied to at the respective host institutes as follows:
- 10th January at Ashoka University,
- 26th January at IIT Indore
- 21st February at IIT Hyderabad
- Departure will be based on the theme you have applied to at the respective host institutes as follows:
- 16th January at Ashoka University
- 1st February at IIT Indore
- 27th February at IIT Hyderabad
- Minimum team members required onsite: 1
- Maximum supported: 2 team members per team (stay funded). More Members can come at their own cost.
- Skipping the Bootcamp? No — the Bootcamp is mandatory for finalists
- Do we need to bring our prototype? Yes
- Working video: Must be submitted prior
- Physical prototype: Must be brought for live demo at the finale
Benefits & support
What do we get by participating?
Yes, only finalist teams will travel to the host institute for the bootcamp and finale:
- ₹30,000: For finalist teams to further develop their prototypes
- Mentorship: From industry experts & innovation leaders
- Pitch Coaching: With communication experts
- Showcasing Opportunity: In front of investors, media, and institutions
- Internships: Opportunities to present in front of Industry members who can offer internships.
- Certificate + Optional LORs from mentors/selection committee
What are the prizes?
- Best Invention Awards in each theme:
- First place: ₹ 2,00,000
- Second place: ₹ 1,00,000
- Third place: ₹ 50,000
- Industry Internships for selected teams
Project requirements
What is expected from our prototype?
You must demonstrate a working prototype with a hardware component. It should:
- Be cost-effective
- Address a real need
- Be easy to use, scalable, and sustainable
Can we use software in our prototype?
Yes, as long as there is a hardware component and the overall solution can be physically demonstrated.
What are the judging criteria?
- Relevance: Is the invention addressing a real problem?
- Effectiveness: Does the prototype work? Is it cost-effective?
- Clarity: Is the scientific and logic chain about the product, idea or innovation robust? What can be the pitfalls in the chain of reasoning?
- Uniqueness: How do the benefits compare to the solutions available in the market?
- Patentability: Are the solution and prototype patentable? (IP shall belong to team members)
- Commercial Viability: How does the cost compare to other things in the market?
- Fact Check: What has been done in the past to address what you are addressing?
- Ease of Use: Is the solution practical and easy to deploy? How will it be used by the user?
Who are the mentors and how are they assigned?
Each team is assigned a technical mentor (If needed) and a communication consultant post-shortlisting. These experts help you develop your prototype and refine your pitch for the jury.
What happens after the finals?
Each team is assigned a technical mentor (If needed) and a communication consultant post-shortlisting. These experts help you develop your prototype and refine your pitch for the jury.
Will we receive certificates?
Yes, all participants will receive a certificate of participation, and finalist teams will receive the winner certificate and can request Letters of Recommendation from mentors or jury members or Maker Bhavan Foundation.
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Built for engineers who build
Get your team together.
Choose your challenge. Start building.
Vishwakarma Awards gives you the challenge, the platform and the opportunity to take your idea further.
Apply now