NEW DELHI: IIT Delhi, ThinkStartup and the Management & Entrepreneurship and Professional Skills Council (MEPSC), a Sector Skills Council under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India, have launched Youth Ideathon 2026, a nationwide innovation and entrepreneurship initiative for school and college students.

Organised in association with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the sixth edition of Youth Ideathon will, for the first time, bring school and college students together under a single national movement, with dedicated School and College tracks running in parallel.

The initiative aims to foster a job-creator mindset among young Indians by encouraging students to identify real-world problems, develop innovative solutions and explore entrepreneurship.

School track targets over 3 lakh students

The School track is open to students from Classes 8 to 12 across India. Participants can submit ideas individually or in teams of up to five members. The programme will culminate in a grand finale on December 15, 2026.

The previous edition attracted more than 2.65 lakh students from over 10,000 schools, with prizes worth ?15 lakh. This year, Youth Ideathon aims to reach more than 3 lakh school students.

College track focuses on emerging technologies and social challenges

The College track is open to undergraduate and postgraduate students across India. Participants can enter individually or in teams of up to five and will work on six key themes — AI and Chip, Space Tech, Sustainability, Next Billion Innovation Challenge, Supporting Girl Entrepreneurs and EdTech.

The Next Billion Innovation Challenge will focus on developing affordable technologies for rural and vernacular users. Participants will have opportunities to take their ideas through ideation, prototyping and pitching before expert panels. The College track will also culminate in the national grand finale on December 15.

Col. Anil K Pokhriyal, CEO, MEPSC, said Youth Ideathon had evolved from an idea into a nationwide movement encouraging students to pursue entrepreneurship and create wealth for themselves and the country. He said MEPSC was committed to building a startup ecosystem that mentors and empowers young innovators from the school and college levels.

Launched in 2021 by the founders of ThinkStartup, Youth Ideathon operates under the message “Mera Idea Jo Badal De Bharat”, encouraging students to become creators and problem-solvers rather than limiting themselves to conventional learning.

Shri P. Ramakrishna, CEO, India Mobile Congress, said the participation of school and college students in real-world problem-solving was encouraging and aligned with the objective of giving grassroots innovation greater visibility.

MediaTek India Managing Director Anku Jain said empowering young innovators through mentorship, resources and confidence could help create solutions capable of competing on the global stage. He said initiatives such as Youth Ideathon were helping take entrepreneurship to schools and colleges and building the foundation for India's next phase of technology-led growth.

The initiative is also supported by SheAtWork and BRICS CCI WE, the women empowerment vertical of the BRICS Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Ruby Sinha, Founder of SheAtWork and President of BRICS CCI WE, said the initiative would promote greater participation of girls in entrepreneurship. SheAtWork has instituted a special award for the Best Girl Entrepreneur.

PanIIT Alumni Chairman Prabhat Kumar said Youth Ideathon would help students use emerging technologies such as AI to address societal challenges and develop products and startups. PanIIT Alumni India will provide mentorship and guidance through its network of alumni from 23 IITs.

Other industry and institutional partners supporting Youth Ideathon 2026 include MediaTek India, NMDC, SIDBI, SheAtWork, PanIIT Alumni India, India Mobile Congress and the Indian Space Association (ISpA).

SBI, the title partner, will support the programme through financial literacy, mentorship and guidance for young innovators seeking to convert their ideas into viable businesses.

Educationist and school policy leader Dr Ashok Pandey said Youth Ideathon represented a nation-building exercise beginning in classrooms by developing skills such as ideation, problem-solving and execution while combining technological innovation with empathy and human values.

Participants will receive certificates, while top teams across both tracks will compete for total prizes and awards worth ?25 lakh. Selected participants will also have access to incubation opportunities through 20 incubators across India.

The programme will additionally recognise teachers, mentors, schools and colleges recording high levels of participation. According to Sanjeeva Shivesh, Program Director, Youth Ideathon, the 2026 edition will feature thematic challenges, mini-challenges, card-based learning games and an expanded award pool. The organisers have also planned 10 regional finales to identify entrepreneurial talent from different parts of the country.

Established in 2021 by ThinkStartup and MEPSC, Youth Ideathon has grown into a major national platform promoting innovation and startup ideas among school and college students.

Keywords: Youth Ideathon 2026, IIT Delhi, ThinkStartup, MEPSC, CBSE, student innovation, entrepreneurship, startups, AI and Chip, Space Tech, EdTech, sustainability, young entrepreneurs, India innovation, school students, college students