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India Innovation Challenge 2026

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Reimagining Health: Healthy Lives, Thriving Communities

Are you ready to create real impact?

The India Innovation Challenge invites high school students across India to become changemakers and design solutions that address one of the world's most critical goals – Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3): Good Health and Wellbeing!

From physical health to mental wellbeing, from prevention to access – this is your opportunity to create innovative, practical solutions that improve lives in your community and beyond.

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Submit your project

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Why it matters

Health is more than the absence of illness – it is about complete physical, mental, and social well-being.

Across the world and in India, millions continue to face challenges such as:

  • Limited access to quality healthcare 
  • Rising mental health concerns 
  • Lifestyle-related diseases 
  • Gaps in awareness and preventive care

SDG 3 calls for a future where everyone, everywhere has access to the care, knowledge, and support needed to live a healthy life.

The Challenge

We challenge you to design an original idea, product, or program that promotes overall health and well-being.

Your solution should be:

  • Inclusive – accessible to diverse communities
  • Innovative – creative and forward-thinking
  • Practical – realistic and implementable
  • Impact-driven – capable of improving lives

Focus areas aligned to SDG 3

Your innovation can address one or more of the following:

Title : Physical health and disease prevention

Description : – Promoting healthy lifestyles and nutrition <br>– Preventing communicable and non-communicable diseases <br>– Fitness, immunity, and everyday well-being

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Title : Mental health and emotional well-being

Description : – Reducing stress, anxiety, and stigma <br>– Youth-focused mental health support <br>– Building resilience and awareness

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Title : Access to healthcare

Description : – Affordable and accessible healthcare solutions <br>– Bridging rural and urban healthcare gaps

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Title : Health awareness and education

Description : – Community-driven awareness campaigns <br>– Improving health literacy and early intervention

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Title : Technology for health

Description : – Digital tools, apps, or platforms for health tracking and support <br>– Telehealth and innovative care delivery

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Title : Safe and healthy communities

Description : – Hygiene, sanitation, and environmental health <br>– Creating safer, healthier living environments

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Create impact

This is more than a challenge – it’s your chance to:

  • Solve real-world health problems
  • Improve quality of life in your community
  • Drive awareness and behaviour change
  • Build scalable solutions for a healthier future

Be the change

A healthier world begins with bold ideas and compassionate action.

By reimagining health today, you can help build a future where every individual has the opportunity to live a healthy, fulfilling life.

Because healthy lives create thriving communities—and thriving communities shape a better world.

Apply

Applications open
Wednesday 1 July 2026

Briefing session 1
Saturday 11 July 2026, 4:30 pm (IST)

Briefing session 2
Thursday 6 August 2026, 4:30 pm (IST)

Q&A session
Sunday 23 August 2026, 4:30 pm (IST)

Submission deadline
Sunday 6 September 2026, 11:59 pm (IST)

Virtual award ceremony
First week of October 2026

  • Students in Grades 11 and 12 at any English medium school in India
  • Teams comprising 1-3 students and a teacher mentor
  • Only one project entry per team

  1. Register and attend
    Sign up for the competition briefing sessions on Zoom.
  2. Form your team
    Assemble a team of 1-3 students and a teacher mentor from the same school.
  3. Create a video
    Develop a 4–5-minute video highlighting your innovative solution.
  4. Submit your application
    Upload your video on YouTube and complete the application form with the required details.

 

  • All submissions must be in English.
  • Submit an open YouTube video link with your application.
  • Include project name, school details, team members' information, and teacher mentor contact details.
  • Maximum video length: 5 minutes. Please ensure your submission does not exceed this limit, as longer videos will be disqualified.
  • Only one idea may be submitted per team. Submitting multiple entries will result in disqualification.

Judging criteria

An expert panel from the University of Sydney will evaluate entries from 7 September 2026 onwards based on the following criteria.

  • Relevance (25%): Effectively addressing health and well-being challenges aligned with SDG 3.
  • Content (25%): Quality, clarity, and comprehensiveness of the proposed solution.
  • Innovation (25%): Originality, creativity, and novelty of the idea.
  • Impact (25%): Potential to create meaningful positive change in individuals, communities, and society.

  • First prize: Apple iPad (or similar) for each team member and teacher mentor
  • Second prize: Samsung or OnePlus tablet for each team member and teacher mentor
  • Third prize: Smartwatch for each team member and teacher mentor

Results will be announced during the virtual awards ceremony

  • Winning teams will be honoured at an awards ceremony, and their work will be highlighted on the University’s website.
  • If interested, winners will receive one-on-one guidance from the School Engagement Team – India to assist with their application process.
  • All participants will also receive e-certificates.

If you have any questions or further information, please reach out to:

Ms. Heena Jethanandani

India.info@sydney.edu.au

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Meet our 2025 winners

1st place: Menstrumate

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Students: Anupriya Nayak and Prisha Dubey
Teacher mentor: Ms Alka Saxena
Amity International School, Saket, Delhi

Menstrumate is a youth-led social enterprise reimagining menstrual health through sustainable innovation and social impact.

Addressing the 200,000 tonnes of non-biodegradable menstrual waste produced annually, Menstrumate creates biodegradable pads from agricultural waste, developed in collaboration with IIT Delhi. These pads decompose in just four months, replacing petroleum-based materials with eco-friendly alternatives.

The initiative also empowers marginalised women by employing former inmates and has conducted workshops across 14 countries, distributing 10,000+ pads through partnerships with Médecins Sans Frontières and the Gates Foundation.

Aligned with UN SDG 13 (Climate Action), Menstrumate unites climate innovation and social justice – turning sustainability into empowerment.

2nd place: EcoAI

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EcoAI revolutionises energy management by using artificial intelligence to optimise power consumption, reduce emissions, and drive sustainable enterprise operations.

Students: Abhishek Thakur, Vedant Garg and Divyansh Ghosh
Teacher mentor: Mr Ajay Verma
Delhi Public School, Indirapuram, Ghaziabad

EcoAI is an intelligent, AI-powered platform designed to help enterprises achieve energy efficiency and sustainability through smart automation.

EcoAI connects directly with a company’s server infrastructure to monitor real-time energy usage, automate power distribution, and optimise workloads. Using advanced machine learning algorithms, it predicts peak consumption, dynamically balances server loads, and reduces hardware stress – resulting in lower electricity bills and improved system performance.

Aligned with UNSDG 13 (Climate Action), EcoAI empowers organisations to minimise their carbon footprint while maximising operational efficiency, making sustainable technology both practical and profitable.

3rd place: Project Vaayu

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Students: Kartikeya Shastri, Sheyan Sethi and Nevan Roy
Teacher mentor: Ms Sudeshna Chhajlani
The Shri Ram School, Moulsari, Gurgaon

Project Vaayu is a student-led initiative providing sustainable and affordable cooling solutions for heat-affected communities. By repurposing terracotta cups from local tea vendors, the project designs eco-friendly air coolers that use evaporative cooling to reduce ambient temperatures by 8–10°C – all without electricity.

Recognised by the Mobius Foundation and Girl Up’s Girl Tank competition, Project Vaayu has installed coolers in government schools and conducted climate awareness sessions, reaching over 400 students.

Aligned with UN SDG 13 (Climate Action), Project Vaayu combines innovation, community impact, and environmental sustainability to make cooling accessible for all.

Special mention: Carbon Net Neutral – Bio Diesel Project

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Students: Tsheden Lekshey Wangyel, Thae Nandar Su and Leonid Kolobov
Teacher mentor: Cdr. AJL Fernandes (Retd.)
Kodaikanal International School

The Biodiesel Project is a student-led sustainability initiative at Kodaikanal International School that upcycles waste cooking oil into high-quality biodiesel through the process of transesterification. Tested successfully with B5 and B10 blends to power diesel pumps without modification, the project reduces the school’s carbon footprint by over 2 tonnes of CO₂e annually while saving approximately ₹70,000 in fuel costs.

Recognised as part of the school’s goal to achieve carbon net-neutrality by 2030, the project also serves as a model for community engagement – students have shared their findings with neighbouring schools, inspiring local adoption of cleaner energy practices.

Aligned with UN SDG 13 (Climate Action), The Biodiesel Project demonstrates how practical, student-driven innovation can transform waste into sustainable energy solutions.

Special mention: BeeBot

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Students: Udbhav Sriramoju, Pranay Kochuri and Harshad Shaik
Teacher mentor: Mr Rajesh Javvadi
Oakridge Internatioanal School, Gachibowli, Hyderabad

BeeBot is an AI-powered robotic pollination rover designed to combat the global decline in bee populations caused by climate change, pesticides and habitat loss. Using advanced vision and automation, BeeBot autonomously identifies flowers and transfers pollen with precision – ensuring stable crop yields, reducing dependency on artificial methods and enhancing food security.

Aligned with UN SDG 13 (Climate Action), BeeBot offers a sustainable, tech-driven solution to support farmers and strengthen climate-resilient agriculture.