Design for Bharat 2027: Free Government Design Challenge for Indian Students, 31 October Deadline

Design for Bharat 2027 is accepting design and innovation proposals through India's official MY Bharat government portal. It focuses on tangible, human-centred product and system design solutions to practical social and economic challenges, rather than a general competition for poster art or stand-alone software applications.

Deadline: 31 October 2026. Registration and submissions are free. Applicants must satisfy Indian citizenship and age requirements, with eligibility differing between the two official tracks. For the Open Challenge, applicants must be Indian citizens aged 18 to 29 who are currently enrolled in a college, university or recognised academic institution. Individuals and teams of up to three are permitted.

Open Challenge submissions include a concept note of up to 500 words and digital design posters showing the proposed idea, its principal visual, research and development process. The portal allows up to seven posters; check the currently displayed submission docket for the exact accepted file size because guidance differs between sections of the site.

A separate Graduation Projects Challenge is available to Indian citizens aged 18–29 who completed a design or closely related design bachelor's or master's programme in 2025 or 2026. It expects an authentic academic thesis or graduation project, and the official rules require documentation that identifies the institution and academic supervisors.

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports' MY Bharat platform hosts the official information and registration links. Selected national finalists may be invited to a New Delhi showcase and mentoring process in January 2027. As this is a domestic programme, non-Indian applicants should not interpret the word 'design' in the title as worldwide eligibility.

Official government rules and entry portal: https://mybharat.gov.in/pages/design-for-bharat