📌About the Event

The Critical Minerals Innovation Hackathon 2026 (CMiH 2026) is a national-level innovation challenge launched by the Ministry of Mines, Government of India, through the Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research Development and Design Centre (JNARDDC), Nagpur. The hackathon aims to encourage students, researchers, startups, academic institutions, and innovators to develop technology-driven solutions for strengthening India’s critical minerals ecosystem.

The competition focuses on solving key challenges related to critical mineral exploration, technology development, and knowledge management. Selected participants will receive expert mentorship to transform their ideas into proof-of-concepts and prototypes that can contribute to India’s National Critical Mineral Mission.

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ℹ️ Event Details

• Organised By: Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research Development and Design Centre (JNARDDC), Nagpur, under the Ministry of Mines, Government of India.
• Mode of Conduct: Online idea submission followed by mentoring and prototype development support for shortlisted teams.
• Competition Format:
• Participants submit innovative solutions addressing predefined problem statements.
• Shortlisted teams receive technical guidance, mentorship, and access to relevant inputs for developing solutions.
• Final solutions are evaluated during the hackathon journey.
• Problem Statements:
• Mineral Prospectivity Mapping from Open Data:
• Development of a prospectivity heatmap for lithium or Rare Earth Elements (REEs) using geological and remote sensing datasets.
• Smart Technology and Patent Tracker for Critical Minerals:
• Creation of a web-based platform for tracking patents, R&D activities, technology trends, and gaps in the critical minerals sector.

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📅 Important Dates

• Hackathon Launch Date: 25 August 2026.
• Last Date for Registration & Idea Submission: 20 September 2026

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🎯 Eligibility & Rules

• Eligibilty:
• Students
• Researchers
• Startups
• Academic and R&D institutions
• Individual innovators
• Rules:
• Participants must submit original ideas addressing the given problem statements.
• Solutions should demonstrate technical feasibility and practical applicability.
• Shortlisted participants must develop their concepts further with mentorship support.
• Evaluation Process:
• Ideas will be shortlisted based on:
• Innovation and originality
• Technical feasibility
• Practical impact on the critical minerals ecosystem
• Scalability and implementation potential

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🏆 Benefits for the Participants

• Prize Structure:
• Each problem statement will have two winning teams.
• First Prize: ₹1,50,000
• Second Prize: ₹1,00,000
• Additional Benefits:
• Expert mentorship from domain specialists.
• Opportunity to develop prototypes and proof-of-concepts.
• Platform to showcase innovative solutions for India’s critical mineral sector.
• Exposure to government-led innovation initiatives.