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In a bold effort to establish India as a hub of ethical AI innovation, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has invited applications for three transformative Global Impact Challenges under the IndiaAI Impact Summit 2026. Announced by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav in September, these initiatives have a whopping prize fund of ₹5.85 crore, targeting revolutionary AI solutions for social welfare. With the last date to submit applications till October 31 at impact.indiaai.gov.in, innovators from across the world have only a few weeks to submit ideas that can redefine sectors like healthcare and climate action.

The summit, to be held on February 19-20 at the Bharat Mandapam, will highlight winners among global leaders, researchers and policymakers – based on Prime Minister Modi’s vision of seeing AI as a public good. “These challenges provide impetus to inclusive and scalable AI for a developed India,” Vaishnav stressed. This is in line with the India AI Mission’s rollout of over 38,000 GPUs.

AI for all: the global impact challenge
This major discovery invites deployable AI breakthroughs in agriculture, sustainability, education, financial technology, healthcare, manufacturing, urban planning and mobility. It is open to students, researchers, startups and corporates globally and focuses on solutions ready for real-world rollout. The 10 winners will receive ₹2.5 crore, along with mentorship, investor networking, compute credits and accelerators. Twenty finalists will get the opportunity to participate in the summit—which will boost India’s AI export ambitions.

AI by HER: Global Impact Challenge
Partnering with NITI Aayog’s Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP), this women-led spotlight empowers women innovators tackling agriculture, cyber security, digital wellness, healthcare, energy and climate through AI. Prize of ₹2.5 crore to top 10 winners; The 30 finalists will attend a bootcamp on ethical AI and a summit trip. It promotes gender equality in tech and addresses the needs of only 14% women in India’s AI workforce.

YUVAi: Global Youth Challenge
For pioneers aged 13-21, this youth force promotes AI prototypes of public interest. The total prizes are ₹85 lakh: ₹15 lakh to the top three winners, ₹10 lakh to the next three winners and ₹5 lakh to two special winners. The top 20 winners will receive a summit trip, bootcamp, and pitch fest—highlighting the role of Generation Z in sustainable tech.

Virtual bootcamps will begin in November, with finalists arriving by December 31. As India aims to become a $500 billion AI economy by 2025, these challenges, launched on October 10, democratize innovation, connecting global talent with local impact. Innovators, take advantage of the deadline: shape the AI ​​of tomorrow today.