Centre launches ‘5G Innovation Hackathon 2025’ to address societal, industrial challenges
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) announced the launch of the ‘5G Innovation Hackathon 2025’, a six-month initiative designed to fast-track the development of innovative 5G-powered solutions aimed at addressing pressing societal and industrial challenges.
New Delhi: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) announced the launch of the ‘5G Innovation Hackathon 2025’, a six-month initiative designed to fast-track the development of innovative 5G-powered solutions aimed at addressing pressing societal and industrial challenges.
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This programme is open to students, startups, and professionals, offering them mentorship, funding, and access to over 100 5G Use Case Labs. The initiative provides participants with an opportunity to transform visionary ideas into scalable technologies, with support from the Ministry of Communications.
Rewards and Recognition for Winners
The hackathon offers substantial rewards for winners, including:
- Rs 5,00,000 for the first-place winner
- Rs 3,00,000 for the runner-up
- Rs 1,50,000 for the second runner-up
Additionally, special mentions will be given for Best Idea and Most Innovative Prototype, each receiving Rs 50,000. Furthermore, ten labs will be awarded Certificates of Appreciation for the Best 5G Use Case, while one emerging institute will be acknowledged with a Best Idea Certificate.
Key Focus Areas for Proposals
The hackathon encourages participants to focus on a variety of key 5G applications, including but not limited to:
- AI-driven network maintenance
- IoT-enabled solutions
- 5G broadcasting
- Smart health, agriculture, and industrial automation
- Non-terrestrial networks (NTN)
- D2M, V2X, and quantum communication
Participants are encouraged to leverage 5G features such as network slicing, Quality of Service (QoS), and call-flow scenarios to address real-world challenges and drive impactful solutions.
Support and Development for Participants
The hackathon provides comprehensive support, including Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) assistance for commercializing innovations. Participants will have access to resources that help elevate their ideas from initial proposals to functional prototypes.
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The competition will unfold in multiple stages, from the initial proposal submission to the final evaluation. Regional committees will screen submissions, and the most promising entries will be selected for further evaluation.
Final Evaluation and Showcase
The Evaluation and Showcase will take place in late September 2025, where teams will present their prototypes to the Technical Expert Evaluation Committee (TEEC). Winners will be announced in October 2025, with top teams showcasing their innovations at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025, one of the country’s premier technology events.
Programme Support and Funding
Backed by a Rs 1.5 crore budget, the hackathon offers seed funding, IPR assistance, mentorship, and support for operational costs. The program aims to develop over 50 scalable 5G prototypes, generate 25+ patents, strengthen collaboration between academia, industry, and government, and foster the creation of new startups.
With a focus on technological innovation and collaboration, the 5G Innovation Hackathon 2025 promises to be a landmark event in India’s journey toward becoming a leader in next-generation connectivity solutions.
