The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has announced the launch of the 5G Innovation Hackathon 2025, a comprehensive six-month program aimed at developing cutting-edge 5G-powered solutions to address a range of societal and industrial challenges. The initiative is open to undergraduate and postgraduate students, startups, and professionals, providing them with a unique opportunity to innovate using 5G technology.
Key Features of the Program:
- Mentorship and Funding: Participants will receive guidance from experts, seed funding, and access to over 100 5G Use Case Labs, facilitating the development of their ideas into viable prototypes.
- IPR Assistance: Participants will also benefit from support in filing Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) to help commercialize their innovations.
- Focus Areas: Proposals are encouraged in areas like AI-driven network maintenance, IoT solutions, 5G broadcasting, smart health, agriculture, industrial automation, V2X, NTN, D2M, and quantum communication, among others. Participants will be urged to leverage features such as network slicing and Quality of Service (QoS).
Program Stages & Timeline:
- Proposal Submission: Proposals are to be submitted between March 15 and April 15, 2025. Institutions can nominate up to five proposals for evaluation by the DoT.
- Regional Shortlisting: 150–200 selected teams will receive further guidance to enhance their solutions. The top 25–50 teams will be shortlisted for the Pragati Phase.
- Pragati Phase (June 15 – September 15, 2025): Teams will receive ₹1,00,000 in seed funding to develop prototypes, access to 5G Use Case Labs, mentorship, and testing infrastructure.
- Evaluation and Showcase (September 2025): Teams will present their prototypes to a Technical Expert Evaluation Committee (TEEC), with evaluation based on technical execution, scalability, impact, and novelty.
- Winners Announcement (October 2025): The top teams will be showcased at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025.
Awards and Recognition:
- 1st Place: ₹5,00,000
- Runner-Up: ₹3,00,000
- 2nd Runner-Up: ₹1,50,000
- Special Mentions: Best Idea and Most Innovative Prototype, each receiving ₹50,000
- Certificates of Appreciation: Awarded to 10 labs for the Best 5G Use Case and one for the Best Idea from Emerging Institutes.
The hackathon, with a budget of ₹1.5 crore, aims to develop over 50 scalable 5G prototypes, generate more than 25 patents, and foster collaboration across academia, industry, and government. This program aligns with India’s vision to establish itself as a global leader in 5G innovation and applications.
Important Dates:
- Proposal Submission: March 15 – April 15, 2025
- Final Winners Announcement: October 1, 2025
This initiative is a significant step toward harnessing 5G technology's potential and nurturing a new generation of innovations that could drive progress in multiple sectors.
