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The Government of India has opened applications for three flagship Global Impact Challenges under the upcoming India-AI Impact Summit 2026, inviting innovators from India and abroad to develop artificial intelligence solutions with high social and economic potential. The combined prize pool of ₹5.85 crore aims to catalyze inclusive, responsible, and scalable AI-driven innovation across key sectors.
The challenges — AI for All, AI by HER, and YUVAi — were first announced by Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw in September and are now accepting applications through the official summit portal, impact.indiaai.gov.in
. Submissions are open until October 31, 2025, with finalists set to be showcased at the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 scheduled for February 19–20 in New Delhi.
According to the Ministry, the Global Impact Challenges are designed to inspire and support AI innovations that address critical social, economic, and environmental priorities. Selected participants will receive not only financial awards but also mentorship, investor access, and international exposure to scale their ideas globally.
Three flagship challenges
The first of the three initiatives, AI for All: Global Impact Challenge, calls for AI-driven innovations that can deliver tangible impact at scale. Open to students, researchers, startups, and enterprises worldwide, the challenge seeks deployable AI solutions in areas such as agriculture, education, healthcare, financial inclusion, manufacturing, sustainability, and urban mobility. The top ten winners will receive awards totaling ₹2.5 crore, alongside mentorship support, travel assistance to the India-AI Summit, and post-event accelerator opportunities.
The second, AI by HER: Global Impact Challenge, focuses on empowering women-led AI innovations and is being organized in collaboration with the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) under NITI Aayog. The challenge invites AI-based solutions that promote social good in fields like cybersecurity, energy, digital wellbeing, healthcare, and climate action. A total of ₹2.5 crore in awards will be distributed among the top ten winners, while thirty finalist teams will gain access to bootcamps on Responsible AI, investor readiness, and storytelling, along with curated investor engagements.
The third initiative, YUVAi: Global Youth Challenge, aims to ignite interest in AI among young innovators aged 13 to 21 years. Participants can submit AI projects designed for public good under broad themes including empowerment, community transformation, and future-ready infrastructure. The youth challenge carries a prize pool of ₹85 lakh, with individual awards ranging from ₹15 lakh to ₹5 lakh, and offers finalists bootcamp training, investor showcases, and permanent inclusion in an online innovation compendium.
A global platform for India’s AI vision
Officials said the Global Impact Challenges reflect India’s commitment to “AI for All”, ensuring that the benefits of artificial intelligence extend across communities and industries. The initiative also reinforces India’s ambition to be a global leader in ethical and inclusive AI adoption, in line with its G20 digital economy agenda.
“The goal is to identify and nurture transformative AI ideas that can deliver real-world impact and position India as a global innovation hub,” a senior official involved in the summit preparations said. Participants will receive access to high-value mentorship and investor networks to help scale promising projects beyond prototypes.
Key dates and roadmap
Applications for all three challenges opened on October 10, 2025, and will close on October 31, 2025. Virtual bootcamps are scheduled for November, with the list of finalists to be announced by December 31. The grand showcase of winners will take place at the India-AI Impact Summit 2026, where top innovations will be unveiled before global investors, policymakers, and industry leaders.
The India-AI Impact Summit 2026 — a flagship event under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology — is expected to serve as a global forum for AI stakeholders to discuss innovation, policy frameworks, and emerging technologies that can shape a more inclusive digital future.
With these challenges, India is not only investing in AI innovation but also positioning itself as a catalyst for socially responsible technology development, bridging the gap between research, entrepreneurship, and real-world implementation.
The challenges — AI for All, AI by HER, and YUVAi — were first announced by Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw in September and are now accepting applications through the official summit portal, impact.indiaai.gov.in
. Submissions are open until October 31, 2025, with finalists set to be showcased at the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 scheduled for February 19–20 in New Delhi.
According to the Ministry, the Global Impact Challenges are designed to inspire and support AI innovations that address critical social, economic, and environmental priorities. Selected participants will receive not only financial awards but also mentorship, investor access, and international exposure to scale their ideas globally.
Three flagship challenges
The first of the three initiatives, AI for All: Global Impact Challenge, calls for AI-driven innovations that can deliver tangible impact at scale. Open to students, researchers, startups, and enterprises worldwide, the challenge seeks deployable AI solutions in areas such as agriculture, education, healthcare, financial inclusion, manufacturing, sustainability, and urban mobility. The top ten winners will receive awards totaling ₹2.5 crore, alongside mentorship support, travel assistance to the India-AI Summit, and post-event accelerator opportunities.
The second, AI by HER: Global Impact Challenge, focuses on empowering women-led AI innovations and is being organized in collaboration with the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) under NITI Aayog. The challenge invites AI-based solutions that promote social good in fields like cybersecurity, energy, digital wellbeing, healthcare, and climate action. A total of ₹2.5 crore in awards will be distributed among the top ten winners, while thirty finalist teams will gain access to bootcamps on Responsible AI, investor readiness, and storytelling, along with curated investor engagements.
The third initiative, YUVAi: Global Youth Challenge, aims to ignite interest in AI among young innovators aged 13 to 21 years. Participants can submit AI projects designed for public good under broad themes including empowerment, community transformation, and future-ready infrastructure. The youth challenge carries a prize pool of ₹85 lakh, with individual awards ranging from ₹15 lakh to ₹5 lakh, and offers finalists bootcamp training, investor showcases, and permanent inclusion in an online innovation compendium.
A global platform for India’s AI vision
Officials said the Global Impact Challenges reflect India’s commitment to “AI for All”, ensuring that the benefits of artificial intelligence extend across communities and industries. The initiative also reinforces India’s ambition to be a global leader in ethical and inclusive AI adoption, in line with its G20 digital economy agenda.
“The goal is to identify and nurture transformative AI ideas that can deliver real-world impact and position India as a global innovation hub,” a senior official involved in the summit preparations said. Participants will receive access to high-value mentorship and investor networks to help scale promising projects beyond prototypes.
Key dates and roadmap
Applications for all three challenges opened on October 10, 2025, and will close on October 31, 2025. Virtual bootcamps are scheduled for November, with the list of finalists to be announced by December 31. The grand showcase of winners will take place at the India-AI Impact Summit 2026, where top innovations will be unveiled before global investors, policymakers, and industry leaders.
The India-AI Impact Summit 2026 — a flagship event under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology — is expected to serve as a global forum for AI stakeholders to discuss innovation, policy frameworks, and emerging technologies that can shape a more inclusive digital future.
With these challenges, India is not only investing in AI innovation but also positioning itself as a catalyst for socially responsible technology development, bridging the gap between research, entrepreneurship, and real-world implementation.
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