National Student Challenge Programme in Ocean Technology (NSCOT)
NIOT National Student Challenge Programme 2026–27
📌About the Event
The National Student Challenge Programme in Ocean Technology (NSCOT) 2026–27 is a national-level engineering innovation competition organised by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT). Formerly known as the Student Autonomous Underwater Vehicle or SAVe Competition, the programme encourages undergraduate engineering students to design, develop and demonstrate autonomous marine systems. This edition includes separate challenges involving Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) and Autonomous Surface Vehicles (ASVs).
ℹ️ Event Details
- Popular abbreviation: NSCOT 2026–27
- Competition level: National level
- Primary domain: Ocean technology, marine robotics, autonomous systems and engineering innovation
- Challenge tracks:
- SAVe 2.0–2026: Design, development and demonstration of an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle.
- ASVs–2026: Coordinated search and localisation using three Autonomous Surface Vehicles.
- Mode of conduct: Multi-stage or hybrid competition
- Registration and technical-report submission are conducted online.
- Design presentations may be conducted online or physically at NIOT.
- SAVe finalists must demonstrate a working AUV in a swimming-pool environment.
- ASV finalists must complete a coordinated search mission in an open lake or pond.
- Competition location: Final demonstrations are expected to be conducted at a venue decided by NIOT, with programme coordination handled from NIOT, Chennai.
📅 Important Dates
- First session: July 29, 2026
- Second session: August 5, 2026
- Third session: August 19, 2026
- Fourth session: August 26, 2026
- Session timing: 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
🎯 Eligibility & Rules
- Eligibility for SAVe 2.0–2026
- Participants must be Indian nationals.
- Applicants must be regular undergraduate engineering students enrolled in a recognised college or institute.
- Students studying in the second, third or fourth year may participate.
- Each team may have a maximum of five students.
- Multidisciplinary teams comprising students from different engineering branches are encouraged.
- Every team must have a faculty mentor from its college or institute.
- Teams must submit an official permission letter or No Objection Certificate issued by their institution.
- Eligibility for ASVs–2026
- Each team may contain a maximum of four students.
- Students may belong to any engineering discipline.
- Participation is restricted to third-year and final-year engineering students.
- An institutional No Objection Certificate is compulsory.
- Each team must nominate a student team leader and a faculty project coordinator or mentor.
🏆 Benefits for the Participants
- SAVe 2.0–2026
- The winning team, comprising up to five students, will be sponsored by MoES–NIOT to participate in the International RoboSub Competition in the United States in July 2027.
- Selected teams will receive technical guidance and mentoring from NIOT scientists and engineers.
- Participants gain practical exposure to underwater robotics, autonomous navigation, marine technology and real-world system development.
- ASVs–2026
- The top five teams selected for Stage 2 will each receive a project grant of up to ₹5 lakh for developing three Autonomous Surface Vehicles.
- Winning team: ₹1,00,000 cash prize
- Runner-up team or teams: ₹50,000 cash prize
- Teams also receive an opportunity to work on advanced technologies involving marine sensing, navigation, communication, autonomous control and cooperative robotics.