The Seva First Innovation Challenge (SIFC) invites students and young innovators to identify the problems faced by the local communities and develop practical solutions for them. The initiative is designed to encourage innovations and entrepreneurial thinking among students at school, ITI, polytechnic, college and universities.
The challenge will cover the south zone, covering Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andaman & Nicobar Island, Lakshadweep and Puducherry.
The submission window will remain open until October 24, 2026. The portal lists state level screening from October 25 onwards. The final exhibition and showcase will be conducted from November 30 to December 15, 2026.
Who can Participate?
The challenge has three participation levels. The Junior level which is open to school students from class VI to XII. At this level, students must observe local problems and provide a simple working solution, or a well-reasoned service or governance idea.
The second is Technical level, this level is meant for students of Industrial Training Institutes and Polytechnics. Participants at this level are expected to work on areas such as engineering, fabrication, electronics or process solutions.
The Open level is for undergraduate students along with postgraduate students and research scholars. Participants at this level are expected to demonstrate a prototype or pilot with a credible pathway to deployment, supported by cost, beneficiaries, timeline, impact and scalability.
The SFIC has identified five national themes for participating students, these include, Swachh & Sustainable Bharat, Samriddh Annadata, Samriddh Bharat, Swasth & Samavesh Bharat, Shikshit & Kaushal Bharat, and Surakshit Bharat.
These themes cover areas such as water and waste management, agriculture, rural innovation, health, inclusion, education, skilling, sports, manufacturing, mobility, safety and digital public infrastructure.
Interested students can submit their ideas under two tracks. Track A focuses on product and technology solutions, including devices, prototype, material, process, software system or engineering solution that can be built, demonstrated and deployed. Track B covers business model or governance, including delivery model, service design, financing mechanism, community institution, process re-engineering, or governance and regulatory innovation.
