Dot Launches Six Month Long 5G Innovation Hackathon 2025

(MENAFN- KNN India) New Delhi, Mar 17 (KNN) The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has unveiled the 5G Innovation Hackathon 2025, a comprehensive six-month program designed to accelerate the development of innovative solutions powered by 5G technology.

The initiative aims to address pressing societal and industrial challenges through technological innovation.

Open to undergraduate and postgraduate students, start-ups, and professionals, the hackathon will provide participants with mentorship, funding, and access to over 100 5G Use Case Labs.

This support structure is intended to help transform conceptual ideas into scalable technologies ready for market implementation.

The program seeks proposals focused on key 5G applications, including AI-driven network maintenance, IoT-enabled solutions, 5G broadcasting, smart health, agriculture, industrial automation, non-terrestrial networks, D2M, V2X, and quantum communication.

Participants are encouraged to leverage advanced 5G features such as network slicing and Quality of Service to develop practical solutions for real-world problems.

The hackathon will progress through several stages, beginning with proposal submission fr0m March 15 to April 15, 2025. Regional committees will select 150-200 proposals for further development, with the top 25-50 teams advancing to the Pragati Phase.

During this three-month period fr0m June 15 to September 15, each selected team will receive a seed fund of Rs 1,00,000 to develop their prototypes.

Final evaluations will take place in late September 2025, with winners announced on October 1. The Technical Expert Evaluation Committee, comprising experts fr0m government, academia, and industry, will assess projects based on technical execution, scalability, societal impact, and innovation.

Top performers will showcase their creations at the prestigious India Mobile Congress 2025.

The hackathon offers substantial rewards for winners, including Rs 5,00,000 for first place, Rs 3,00,000 for the runner-up, and Rs 1,50,000 for the second runner-up. Special recognition will also be given for the Best Idea and Most Innovative Prototype, each receiving Rs 50,000.

Supported by a budget of Rs 1.5 crore, the program aims to develop over 50 scalable 5G prototypes, generate more than 25 patents, strengthen collaboration between academia, industry, and government, and support the creation of start-ups.

Participants will receive comprehensive support, including assistance with Intellectual Property Rights filing to help commercialise their innovations.

The 5G Innovation Hackathon 2025 represents a significant step in India's ambition to lead global 5G innovation by bridging laboratory research with market-ready solutions through collaborative development.

(KNN Bureau)

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