Who Is the Next G.D. Naidu? Innovation Challenge
Varghese Moolan Pictures and Tricolour Films
📌About the Event
Who Is the Next G.D. Naidu? Innovation Challenge 2026 is a state-level engineering innovation competition for students studying at recognised institutions across Tamil Nadu. Inspired by the inventive and problem-solving spirit of G.D. Naidu, the challenge invites student teams to develop practical, affordable and locally relevant solutions in areas such as manufacturing, agriculture, sanitation, mobility and rural engineering. Participants must submit their proposed solution along with a presentation, prototype demonstration video, problem summary and estimated bill of materials.
ℹ️ Event Details
- Mode of conduct: Hybrid.
- Registration and initial project submission will be conducted online.
- District-level prototype demonstrations will be held offline at designated Thanthi hub-city venues.
- The grand finale will be conducted offline in Chennai or Coimbatore.
- Team size: Two to four students from the same institution.
- Faculty mentor: Each team must have exactly one faculty mentor from the same institution.
- Maximum entries: Each eligible institution may register up to two teams.
- Languages accepted: English or Tamil.
- Innovation tracks:
- Indigenous Manufacturing and Frugal Engineering
- Agritech for Small and Marginal Farmers
- Water and Sanitation
- Affordable Mobility and Transportation
- Frugal Engineering for Rural India
- Teams may also propose an innovation under the open category, subject to approval from the contest jury chair.
- The intellectual-property rights over the innovation will generally remain with the participating team, subject to the institution’s existing IP policy.
📅 Important Dates
- Registration opening date: June 8, 2026, at 12:01 AM IST.
- Problem statements released: June 11, 2026.
- Online submission portal opens: June 17, 2026.
- Registration deadline: June 21, 2026, at 11:59 PM IST.
- Project submission deadline: June 24, 2026, at 11:59 PM IST.
- District-level preliminary round: June 29, 2026.
🎯 Eligibility & Rules
- Eligibility:
- Participants must be full-time students enrolled in an undergraduate or postgraduate engineering programme, including:
- B.E.
- B.Tech.
- M.E.
- M.Tech.
- An equivalent engineering programme
- The participating college, deemed university or institute of technology must:
- Be AICTE-approved or UGC-recognised.
- Be located in Tamil Nadu.
- Participants must be Indian nationals or valid student-visa holders studying in India.
- Participants aged below 18 years must submit written consent from a parent or legal guardian.
- Every team must:
- Include at least two and no more than four students.
- Have all members from the same institution.
- Nominate one student as the team leader.
- Include exactly one faculty mentor from the same institution.
- Cross-institutional teams are not permitted.
- The faculty mentor will provide academic guidance and supervise the team’s integrity but will not individually receive the cash prize.
- Participants must be full-time students enrolled in an undergraduate or postgraduate engineering programme, including:
🏆 Benefits for the Participants
- First prize: ₹5,00,000 for one winning team.
- Second prize: ₹2,00,000 for one team.
- Runner-up prizes: ₹50,000 each for six teams.
- Total cash prize pool: ₹10,00,000.
- All 24 grand-finalist teams will receive:
- A certificate of participation.
- A one-year incubation mentoring engagement with a partner institution, subject to the partner’s terms.