Applications Open Β· India Nationwide

BUILD WITH AI
2026

India's open AI innovation challenge. Engineers and designers from across the country β€” pitch your boldest idea, build a prototype, and shape the future with Generative AI.

$2.5K
Top Prize
30+
Cities
500+
Participants
72hrs
Build Window
About the Event

Where India's Builders Meet AI's Future

Build with AI 2026 is an open innovation challenge for engineers and designers across India. We're looking for bold ideas at the intersection of AI, Generative AI, and real-world impact.

Register with your idea. If selected, you'll be invited to build a POC and present to our panel of industry judges.

πŸ€–

Gen AI First

Build with LLMs, multimodal models, agents, and RAG pipelines.

🌐

All India

Fully virtual. Participate from any city in India.

🎯

Idea First

No prototype needed to apply. Just a great idea.

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We Pick You

Shortlisted teams are emailed with next steps to build & present.

Challenge Tracks

Pick Your Battleground

Three tracks, unlimited ambition.

TRACK 01

Intelligent Automation

Reimagine workflows with AI agents, RPA + LLM hybrids, document intelligence, and autonomous pipelines.

TRACK 02

Generative Interfaces

Design next-gen UX powered by GenAI β€” conversational UI, AI-driven design systems, and multimodal experiences.

TRACK 03

AI for Bharat

Build for India's unique needs β€” regional language AI, AgriTech, HealthTech, and financial inclusion.

How It Works

Three Simple Steps

Register with your ideas. If we love them, we'll reach out with next steps.

01

Register & Pitch Your Ideas

Submit your application with your name, team, and up to 2 AI idea pitches. No prototype needed at this stage.

Deadline: May 10, 2026
02

POC Submission If Shortlisted

Selected applicants get an email invite to submit a working proof-of-concept. POC window opens after shortlisting.

By Invitation Only
03

Virtual Presentation & Results

Final shortlisted teams pitch live to our judge panel over Zoom. Winners announced within 48 hours.

June 2026
Rewards

What You're Building For

Cash prizes, recognition, and a real shot at turning your idea into a product.

πŸ₯‡
Winner
$2,500
+ Build with AI Innovation Award + Incubation fast-track
πŸ₯ˆ
Runner Up
$1,000
+ Certificate + Community spotlight feature
πŸ…
Top 10 Participants
$250
Each Β· Awarded to the top 10 finalists beyond the podium
⚑
Special Track Prize
$500
Best "AI for Bharat" solution Β· Awarded per track
Panel of Judges

Meet the Jury

Industry practitioners and researchers who will review your ideas and presentations.

YY
Yogesh Yogi
ML Engineer,
Core AI Platform
Google
AK
Aditya Kumar Jha
AI Ethics Engineer,
Responsible AI
Microsoft
SK
Sourav Khemka
ML Engineer,
Applied Research
Microsoft
MC
Mourya Chigurupati
DevOps &
Gen AI Strategist
Independent
YJ
Yashika Jotwani
Engineering,
Developer Tools
HackerRank
PD
Priya Devarajulu
Technology,
Financial Services
American Express
Who Can Apply

Eligibility

  • Open to all engineers, designers, PMs and researchers based in India
  • Solo applications and teams of up to 4 are welcome
  • Cross-functional and multi-city teams encouraged β€” fully virtual
  • No prototype required at registration β€” ideas only at this stage
  • Each person can be part of only one team submission
  • Shortlisted applicants will be contacted via the email provided
  • All submitted ideas must be original and not commercially launched
Who We're Looking For

Your Role

All backgrounds welcome. Best ideas come from diverse teams.

Profiles We Love

Engineers
Frontend, Backend, ML, Data, DevOps
Designers
UX, UI, Product Design, Research
Product & Domain Experts
PMs, analysts, researchers, founders
Schedule

Key Dates

Mark your calendar. The application window is short.

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April 7, 2026
Applications Open
Portal goes live. Register and submit your ideas.
πŸ“
May 10, 2026
Registration Deadline
Last day to register and submit your ideas. No extensions.
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Late May 2026
Shortlist Emails Sent
Selected applicants emailed with POC guidelines and build window.
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June 2026
Build Phase & Presentations
Shortlisted teams build and present to the judge panel over Zoom.
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June 2026
Winners Announced
Results within 48 hours of demo day. Prizes and recognition follow.
FAQs

Got Questions?

Everything you need to know before applying.

Do I need a working prototype to apply?+
No. At the application stage, all we need is your idea β€” a clear problem and your proposed AI solution. A POC is only required if you're shortlisted.
Can I apply without a team?+
Absolutely. Solo applications are welcome. If shortlisted, you can choose to build solo or form a team for the build phase.
How will I know if I'm shortlisted?+
We'll email you at the address you provide. Shortlist notifications go out in late May 2026. Check your spam folder just in case!
Can I submit two different ideas?+
Yes β€” and we encourage it. The second idea field is optional but submitting two increases your chances. Each idea is evaluated independently.
What AI tools can we use?+
Any publicly available model or API β€” OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Hugging Face, open-source models, etc. Cloud credits provided to shortlisted teams.
How are the $250 top-10 prizes awarded?+
The top 10 finalists who present in the virtual round but don't place 1st or 2nd each receive $250. Winners and runners-up are not eligible for this tier.
Step 1 of 2

Register Your Team

Tell us about yourself and pitch your ideas. No prototype required β€” just your thinking.

01
Register
02
POC
03
Present
04
Results
We'll use this to contact you if you're shortlisted.
List your teammates' names if applying as a team.

Your Ideas

Be specific about the problem. Clearer thinking = better chances.

Applications close May 10, 2026. We review all submissions and respond within 2 weeks.

βœ“
Register
02
POC
03
Present
04
Results
πŸŽ‰
You're Registered!

Your application has been received. Our panel will review all submissions and reach out to shortlisted participants via email.

In the meantime β€” you can optionally submit a POC to strengthen your application.

Statusβœ“ Application Submitted
Review TimelineWithin 2 weeks of May 10
NotificationEmail (check spam too!)
Next StepOptional: Submit a POC below
4
Days left to submit your POC POC submission closes May 14, 2026 at 11:59 PM IST. Submitting a working prototype significantly improves your shortlisting chances.
Step 2 of 2

POC Submission

Submit your working proof-of-concept. All fields except Description are optional β€” submit what you have.

βœ“
Register
02
POC
03
Present
04
Results
πŸ“Ž

Click to upload your deck (PDF or PPTX, max 20MB)

POC submissions close May 14, 2026 at 11:59 PM IST.

Virtual Presentation Room
Connecting you to the judge panel...
Initialising secure connection...
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Surprise in...
3
🎬 Before the results…
someone made something just for you.
Press play. We'll wait. 😏
πŸŽ‚πŸŽ‰πŸŽˆ
HAPPY
BIRTHDAY!

Plot twist: there was no hackathon. 😈

⚑ The Roast

"Congratulations! You registered, submitted not one but TWO ideas, read through the eligibility criteria, AND submitted a whole POC… for a completely fake hackathon your wife built from scratch. The judges are people you know personally. The $2,500? Never existed. Your dignity? We'll let the video speak for itself. πŸ˜‚"

πŸ’œ For Real Though

You are the most driven, brilliant, and genuinely creative person I know. I made this because I know you'd actually enter a real one β€” and you'd absolutely win it. Today is all about you. Happy Birthday, love. πŸ₯‚βœ¨