NICMAR has recorded a strong nationwide response to its flagship Bharat Nav-Nirmaan Challenge, with participation from more than 500 colleges across India, including several IITs and NITs. The initiative, aimed at encouraging undergraduate students to address real-world infrastructure challenges, has emerged as one of the country’s largest student-led innovation platforms focused on the built environment.
Supported by the All India Council for Technical Education, the challenge offers prizes worth ₹30 lakh and follows a structured, multi-stage and multi-city format to ensure wide grassroots participation. More than 500 participating institutions are currently conducting college-level rounds to shortlist one winning team each. These rounds are scheduled to conclude by January 31, following which selected teams will move to the next phase.
College-level winners will advance to city-level cohort rounds, bringing together teams from peer institutions for regional competition. City rounds are being held across 11 locations, including Pune, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Bengaluru, Kochi, Lucknow, Mumbai and Chandigarh. Winners from these rounds will progress to the Regional Rounds, culminating in a National Grand Finale where finalists will present their ideas before industry experts, academicians and sector leaders.
The challenge has drawn participation from a wide range of leading institutions, including IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Madras, IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Hyderabad, as well as NIT Calicut, NIT Hamirpur, NIT Kurukshetra, NIT Meghalaya and hundreds of other engineering, architecture and planning colleges across metro cities and emerging education hubs.
Commenting on the scale of participation, Gaurav Bajpai, Director, Marketing, NICMAR, said in a media statement, “The response to the Bharat Nav-Nirmaan Challenge has been truly overwhelming. With participation from more than 500 colleges and students engaging across multiple cities and stages, the initiative has evolved into a genuine national movement. It reflects the aspiration of India’s youth to contribute meaningfully to the country’s infrastructure and development journey. Bharat Nav-Nirmaan is not just a competition; it is a platform where ideas meet opportunity.”
Aligned with the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat 2047, the initiative encourages final-year and pre-final-year undergraduate students from civil engineering, architecture, core engineering and allied disciplines to move beyond classroom learning. Student teams are developing solutions across key focus areas such as sustainable infrastructure, urbanisation, mobility, housing, energy efficiency, water management and resilient cities.
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