Principal Investigators of selected proposals will be notified via email shortly. Principal Investigators of selected proposals will be notified via email shortly. Principal Investigators of selected proposals will be notified via email shortly. Principal Investigators of selected proposals will be notified via email shortly. Principal Investigators of selected proposals will be notified via email shortly. Principal Investigators of selected proposals will be notified via email shortly. Principal Investigators of selected proposals will be notified via email shortly. Principal Investigators of selected proposals will be notified via email shortly. Principal Investigators of selected proposals will be notified via email shortly. Principal Investigators of selected proposals will be notified via email shortly. Principal Investigators of selected proposals will be notified via email shortly. Principal Investigators of selected proposals will be notified via email shortly. Principal Investigators of selected proposals will be notified via email shortly. Principal Investigators of selected proposals will be notified via email shortly. Principal Investigators of selected proposals will be notified via email shortly. Principal Investigators of selected proposals will be notified via email shortly.

About

Bharat WIN is a national initiative of the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India , aimed at driving meaningful and technology-led transformation in India's water sector. The mission is to accelerate innovation by connecting scientific research, entrepreneurship, and grassroots initiatives to ensure accessibility, affordability, and sustainability. The initiative strengthens the research and innovation ecosystem by providing both institutional and financial support, encouraging development of technologies that can be tested, scaled, and deployed in real-world settings to solve critical water challenges.

To nurture innovation, DoWR, RD & GR, MoJS, will organize Jal Shakti Hackathons under Bharat WIN Initiative and invite calls for proposals that inspire creative solutions in priority areas such as water resource management, wastewater treatment, water-use efficiency, climate resilience, flood management, smart monitoring systems, precision agriculture, and urban hydrology. The National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), Roorkee, has been designated as Project Implementation Agency (PIA) for this initiative. The Hackathon winners will be awarded Rs 1 lakh for developing Proof-of-Concept (PoC). The selected proposals will be evaluated further for grant-in-aid.

Hackathon Highlights

Turn breakthrough ideas into impact with funding through the Bharat WIN.

Rs 1 Lakh Reward

Reward to Hackathon winners for developing Proof-of-Concept tackling water challenges.

Grant-in-aid

Dedicated funding for developing full-scale prototypes/technology

Gain Visibility

Showcase your solutions to policy makers.

Focus Areas

Focus areas for submission of proposals.

Water Resources Assessment and Management
Wastewater Treatment
Climate Resilience and Adaptation
Water Use Efficiency and Circular Economy
Smart Water Grids, Internet of Things, and data-driven water (surface and ground) management approaches
Efficient Irrigation, Precision Agriculture and Rainwater Harvesting
River Basin & Flood Management, Glacial Lake Outburst Floods
Hydrological modelling inclusive of Urban Hydrology
Quality of Water and related issues

Problem Statements

Applicants may formulate their problem statements by identifying water-related issues, preferably aligned with the given Focus Areas. A few identified problem statements are provided below, which may also be used as a basis for developing new ideas.

P01: Development of an application for on-the-spot assessment of Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting potential and system design.

Development of an application for estimation of rooftop runoff yield and storage requirements. The system shall generate harvesting potential and site-specific design parameters considering rainfall statistics, sub surface details, groundwater table, roof area, and demand.

P02: Development of a small-scale cost-effective and sustainable plastic waste disposal system.

Development of a decentralized, low-cost system for segregation, volume reduction, and environmentally compliant processing of plastic waste. The solution shall emphasize energy efficiency, minimal secondary emissions, and operational scalability. These systems are useful to minimise soil and water contamination.

P03: Smart river water level and quality surveillance system with UAVs.

Development of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) enabled monitoring framework for acquisition of river stage and in-situ water quality parameters through image processing. The system shall integrate onboard sensors, real-time telemetry, and processing modules to derive the river water level and quality parameters.

P04: Development of a floating sensor-based system for automated recording of river water levels and quality, and its transmission.

Design of a floating sensor for continuous measurement of river water levels and physicochemical parameters. The system shall enable wireless transmission/telemetry/IoT, and centralized data management.

P05: Development of a decentralized wastewater treatment system for safe disposal and reuse.

Development of decentralized wastewater treatment system is for safe disposal of grey and black water. The system shall ensure compliance with the Government of India guidelines and standards. These systems reduce significant pollution load on rivers, water bodies and groundwater.

P06: Development of a portable device for the detection of chemical and bacteriological water quality parameters.

Development of a portable device for rapid detection of key chemical and bacteriological water quality parameters. The device shall support sensor-based techniques with on-site data processing.

P07: Development of an early warning system for Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) and urban flooding.

Development of an integrated early warning system combining remote sensing, hydrodynamic modelling, IoT and real-time data. The system shall enable predictive risk assessment, alerts/warnings, and decision support.

P08: Development of a system for assessing Water Use Efficiency (WUE) for irrigation systems, individual houses, apartments, gated communities, and industries.

Development of a system for assessment of water use efficiency across irrigation, residential, and industrial sectors. The system shall integrate metering data/releases/supply, usage, and performance indicators to suggest optimized water management.

P09: Development of advanced tools and techniques for the management of water resources and safe drinking water.

Development of advanced tools/techniques and decision-support systems for water resources management and ensuring safe drinking water. The system shall leverage modelling, IoT, AI and real-time data for generating best management scenarios.

P10: Development of Energy Efficient Sludge Drying and Thickening System.

The drying of sludge and removal of moisture consumes substantial amount of power and energy. The energy efficiency can be enhanced through aeration, improving dewatering and advanced process control (SCADA etc.), improving energy recovery through biogas etc. An optimal mix of abovementioned factors with system design may be presented as a solution to the improved energy efficient system.

P11: Development of a Solution for Characterization of Sludge.

Characterization of sludge is very important for deciding upon its end use. System is to be developed for complete characterization of sludge instantaneously and bringing out different metals present in it, it can help in deciding the final use of sludge. In case complete characterization is difficult, the presence of heavy metal may be brought out by the system.

P12: Development of Process for FCO Compliant Soil Conditioner from Sludge.

The use of sludge as a soil conditioner to enrich the soil nutrients and help in improving the productivity is an aspirational goal. An efficient cost effective process/technology may be developed for producing FCO compliant sludge.

Guidelines for Proposal Submission

  • 1

    Proposals should be submitted on the portal, clearly mentioning the problem statement, by 25 January 2026.

  • 2

    Proposals should be based on the innovative ideas relevant to the Focus Areas.

  • 3

    Problem statement should be within 500 words. Additional information (optional), can be mentioned in less than 300 words.

  • 4

    The Problem statement should clearly mention deliverables/outcome in the form of prototypes, scalable models and deployable field-ready solutions.

  • 5

    Individuals as well as organizations are invited to submit the proposals; for details of eligibility, please see the Who Can Apply / Eligibility Criteria.

  • 6

    An individual can submit multiple proposals in this Hackathon.

  • 7

    To submit the proposal the details of the team are not required, such details will be sought during the submission of detailed proposal / PoC, if the proposal is selected for further evaluation.

  • 8

    Selected proposals will be called for an online presentation during the Hackathon.

  • 9

    Winners of Hackathon will receive Rs. 1 Lakh for submitting a comprehensive Proof-of-Concept (PoC).

  • 10

    Rewarded proposals will be evaluated for a grant-in-aid for developing full-scale prototypes/technology within 1 to 2 years.

Who Can Apply / Eligibility Criteria

The following Indian Organizations/ Institutions/private sector are eligible to submit proposals.

Category-1

Startups, MSMEs, industries, and incubators.

Category-2

Laboratories, R&D institutions and registered societies.

Category-3

Academia, universities & colleges.

Category-4

Indian NGOs registered under relevant Society Act, non-profit-making recognized Indian Private R&D Institutions/ Organizations.

Category-5

Any other entities that are not covered under the above categories, including individuals.

Funding

Hackathon Winners

A reward of Rs. 1 lakh for developing detailed Proof-of-Concept (PoC) proposals.

Project Grants

Grant-in-aid for eligible projects based on impact potential.

Event Timeline

Opening of Hackathon Portal

Launch of the online portal for information, registrations, and submission of proposals. Release of the detailed focus areas and technical guidelines.

09 December 2025
09 December to 25 January 2026

Submission of proposals

Window for innovators to submit proposals in the identified focus areas.

Will be notified soon

Hackathon

Presentation of the selected proposal at Hackathon

FAQ

What is Hackathon?
A hackathon is an event where individuals or teams collaborate to solve a problem, develop ideas, or build a prototype. The Jal Shakti Hackathon will emphasize on developing prototype/technology to solve water related issues.
Why am I not getting OTP?
The OTP is sent on your registered email ID, not on your mobile number. Please check your Inbox and Spam folders. If you still face issues, kindly contact us — details are available in the Contact section.
What is Proof-of-Concept (PoC)?
Proof of Concept (PoC) demonstrates the scientific or technical feasibility of a core idea or function. In the Jal Shakti Hackathon, the PoC at Technology Readiness Level 3 (TRL-3) is expected. PoC at TRL-3 signifies the Experimental Proof of Concept , where basic principles are demonstrated often through lab-level testing, to show how a core technology or function works, focusing on feasibility and identifying key parameters, not building a full system. It's early, fundamental stage of proving an idea can work, typically involving small-scale experiments to validate the core concept.
Who can apply?
Startups, MSMEs, industries, incubators, laboratories, R&D institutions, registered societies, academia, universities & colleges, Indian NGOs registered under the relevant Society Act, and non-profit recognized Indian private R&D institutions and organizations.
What is the language of proposal?
The proposal should be in English, only.
How do I register/login?
Register with your email-id and verify the OTP sent on your email. You may login using your email and password to submit the proposal.
What is the submission deadline?
Submit proposals by 25 January 2026, 23:59 IST. After the deadline, submissions are closed.
What details need to be filled during proposal submission?

The proposal submission form includes four steps:

  • Basic Details: Provide your name, category, designation, and other essential information.
  • Partner Organization (Optional): Enter details of the partner organization, if applicable.
  • Proposal Information: Fill in the problem statement (max. 500 words) and additional details (max. 300 words).
  • Review & Submit: Review all entered information and submit the proposal.
Do I need to upload any file during proposal submission?
No, no files need to be uploaded during proposal submission.
Can I edit submitted final proposal?
No, once you submit the proposal, it becomes read-only (no edits allowed). Review your proposal before final submission.
Can I edit my draft proposal before final submission?
Yes, while it is in Draft. Once you submit the proposal, it becomes read-only. Review your proposal before final submission.
How do I know the status of my proposal?
Login to the portal using your registered email-ID to see the status of the proposal.
How many proposals can I submit?
An individual can submit multiple proposals in this Hackathon.
What are the documents/proofs required to apply?
No documents required for submitting the initial proposal. Committee may ask for documentary proofs during evaluation.
What should the proposal include?
The proposal should clearly state the problem and expected deliverables/outcomes such as prototypes, scalable models, or deployable field-ready solutions.
How is it evaluated?
Proposals will be evaluated by the Evaluation Committees based on relevance to focus areas, technical feasibility, innovation, impact, and scalability.
Is funding available?
Yes. Hackathon winners receive a reward of Rs 1 Lakh for developing Proof of Concept (PoC). Eligible projects may later be reviewed for grant-in-aid for developing prototype/technology.
Need help?
Use the Contact section below to reach out to us.
How to see website content in regional language?
To view the website in your preferred regional language, simply change the language from the navigation bar. Select your preferred language from the dropdown to instantly translate the content.
Can a multi-disciplinary team apply?
Multidisciplinary teams comprising students, faculty members, and working professionals can participate.
Is there any team size,gender or role restrictions?
The size of the participation team is not subject to any specific stipulation. There are no restrictions imposed on team size, gender composition, role, or designations.

Contact Us

For queries related to Bharat WIN, please reach out to:

Hackathon Secretariat, National Institute of Hydrology

Jal Vigyan Bhawan, Roorkee, District Haridwar, Uttarakhand - 247667, India.

Phone: +91-1332-249410

Fax: +91-1332-272123

Email: hackathon.nihr@gov.in

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