Deadline Date: March 27, 2026
The Blockchain India Challenge is inviting applications to develop citizen-centric innovative solutions using Blockchain technology and Web3, leveraging the expertise of Indian startups to enhance digital governance through trust, transparency, and efficiency.
The challenge offers a total prize pool of ₹8.80 crores across multiple stages to support innovative non-crypto Blockchain and Web3 solutions. In the Prototype Stage, up to 40 participants will receive ₹1.5 lakh each. The Minimum Viable Product (MVP) Stage will award ₹4 lakh each to up to 30 participants, while the Deployment Stage will grant ₹10 lakh each to up to 20 participants. Additionally, 10 winners—one from each use case category—will receive ₹50 lakh each. The challenge aims to develop and deploy ten pilot solutions in collaboration with government institutions and state departments, enabling startups to scale their impact beyond the competition. Selected solutions will be hosted on the National Blockchain Technology Stack and deployed with relevant user agencies, encouraging entrepreneurship in Blockchain and Web3 while promoting wider technology adoption.
The competition consists of four structured rounds: Ideation, Prototype, Minimum Viable Product, and Deployment, with mentorship support from C-DAC and external experts. Participants are expected to build practical, scalable solutions that address key national challenges and are ready for implementation with government backing. The ten focus use case categories include e-Procurement, Digital Forensics, Government Document Management Systems, Public Distribution Systems, Environmental Health and Sustainable Living, Health Data Integrity and Trust Frameworks, Digital Trust Frameworks for Land Administration, Supply Chain Management, Power, and IoT/IIoT.
To be eligible, startups must be registered in India and must not be subsidiaries of foreign corporations. Participants must be Indian citizens aged 18 years or above, and only one member per startup may register. Individuals cannot be part of multiple participating startups. While a startup may apply under multiple use cases, it can receive an award only once. Startups shortlisted for the Proof of Concept (PoC) stage must have applied for official recognition as an Indian startup and provide valid proof before final selection.
For more information, visit MeitY.
