- ISRO launched Bharatiya Antariksh Hackathon 2026 for student innovators in India
- The hackathon targets space and climate challenges via 15 problem statements
- Teams of 3-4 students from Indian colleges can collaborate across institutions
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched the third edition of the Bharatiya Antariksh Hackathon (BAH) 2026, inviting student innovators to contribute ideas for India's growing space-tech ecosystem.
Powered by innovation platform Hack2skill, the national initiative aims to crowd-source solutions for some of India's most complex astronomical and climate-related challenges.
The competition is open only to undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD research scholars who are currently enrolled in recognised Indian institutions. Working professionals are not eligible to participate.
Teams must have three to four members. Students from different colleges and universities are allowed to form a single team through cross-college and cross-university collaborations.
Direct Link To Apply Bharatiya Antariksh Hackathon 2026
ISRO has released 15 problem statements that combine space exploration with resource management on Earth. The challenges include developing an AI-powered digital twin of India's climate and analysing Chandrayaan-2 radar data to study subsurface ice in the Moon's south polar region for future rover traverse planning.
Other problem statements focus on forecasting solar flares using Aditya-L1 data, identifying exoplanets from noisy light curves, and using generative AI to remove clouds from satellite images.
The hackathon registration and idea submission process began on June 10, 2026. ISRO will hold two problem statement explainer sessions on June 15 and June 16 to help participants understand the technical scope of the challenges. The registration window will close on July 1, 2026.
After the evaluation process, ISRO will announce the shortlisted teams on July 20, 2026. An induction session will be held on July 21, followed by the 30-hour live grand finale on August 6 and 7, 2026.
Participation in the hackathon is free of cost. Interested teams can apply through the official Hack2skill event portal. During the registration stage, teams do not need to build a physical prototype. Instead, they have to submit a detailed conceptual solution proposal using the templates provided on the platform before the July 1 deadline.
Selected finalists will receive technical mentorship from ISRO scientists and domain experts during the development process. Along with national recognition, participants may also be considered for official internship opportunities at ISRO to work on live space projects. For the physical finale, the organisers will reimburse II AC travel fares for all shortlisted finalists.