India AI Impact Festival 2026
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
📌About the Event
The India AI Impact Festival 2026 is a national innovation platform that enables students, educators, academic institutions, and startups to showcase artificial intelligence solutions with measurable social impact. Based on the theme “AI for Bharat: Enriching Lives with AI Innovation,” the festival promotes responsible, inclusive, and scalable AI applications that can improve lives across India. It is jointly organised by leading government bodies and Intel India.
ℹ️ Event Details
- Theme: AI for Bharat: Enriching Lives with AI Innovation
- Type of event: National-level AI innovation and impact competition
- Mode of conduct:
- Project registration and entry submission will be conducted online through the festival platform.
- Shortlisted participants will attend virtual jury interactions.
- Winners will be recognised through a national-level showcase and felicitation programme; its date, venue, and format have not yet been announced.
- Participating categories:
- AI Impact Creators: Students presenting AI-enabled social-impact solutions
- AI Impact Shapers: Educators showcasing innovative AI teaching and learning practices
- AI Impact Nurturers: Schools, colleges, and other academic institutions building AI-learning ecosystems
- AI Impact Catalysts: Early-stage and growth-stage startups developing scalable AI solutions
📅 Important Dates
- Official launch of the festival: June 10, 2026
- Last date for project submission: July 15, 2026
🎯 Eligibility & Rules
- AI Impact Creators – Students aged 13–17 years:
- Open to students from K–12 or equivalent educational ecosystems.
- Participants must present an innovative AI-enabled social-impact solution.
- AI Impact Creators – Students aged 18 years and above:
- Open to higher-education students or learners from equivalent ecosystems.
- The submission must demonstrate an innovative application of AI for social impact.
- AI Impact Shapers – Educators:
- Open to educators from K–12 and higher-education institutions.
- Applicants must showcase innovative AI-enabled teaching and learning practices.
- AI Impact Nurturers – Institutions:
- Open to schools, colleges, training centres, and other academic institutions.
- Institutions must demonstrate effective initiatives for promoting AI learning, innovation, or capacity building.
- AI Impact Catalysts – Startups:
- Open to emerging early-stage startups and scaling growth-stage startups.
- The startup must be developing a scalable AI solution with demonstrable real-world impact.
🏆 Benefits for the Participants
- Participants can receive a joint certificate from the festival’s partner organisations.
- Selected entries will receive recognition at the national level.
- Winners may receive awards, prizes, visibility opportunities, and opportunities to showcase their innovations.
- AI Impact Creators:
- Three finalists will be selected from the 13–17 years category.
- Three finalists will be selected from the 18 years and above category.
- AI Impact Shapers:
- Two finalists will be selected across the K–12 and higher-education educator groups.
- AI Impact Nurturers:
- Two finalists will be selected across the K–12 and higher-education institution groups.
- AI Impact Catalysts:
- Two finalists will be selected across the emerging-startup and scaling-startup groups.
- The top three AI Impact Creators will represent India as Team India at the Intel AI Global Impact Festival 2026.