• Member
• October 12, 2026

EMERGENT NETWORKS

INNOVATION CHALLENGE  FOR MOBILE ECOSYSTEM SRIJAN SANCHAR

Emergent Networks  A Mobile Ecosystem Innovation Challenge

Overview

Srijan Sanchar proposes Emergent Networks  2027, a national innovation challenge for India's mobile ecosystem, with its finale  in 2027 in New Delhi.

Objectives and themes

The challenge aims to:

•      Bring fresh design thinking to real problems of India's mobile networks and devices.

•      Surface ideas that improve availability, cut cost and energy, and widen inclusion.

•      Link young innovators directly with operators, tower companies, device makers and universities.

•      Build on India's strengths in digital public infrastructure, languages and frugal engineering.

Four themes, each with a short design brief:

Theme	Design brief
1. Networks that prepare	Use schedules the network does not hold today, such as train timetables, match fixtures, festival calendars or power-cut schedules, to improve availability or save energy. Privacy-safe, aggregate data only.
2. Connectivity where people gather	Design a service that keeps people connected and informed at a crowded place, such as a metro station, mela, stadium or disaster site, using nearby devices and local infrastructure.
3. Devices for a capable Bharat	Design an affordable device, accessory or app feature for users the market underserves: elderly people, people with disabilities, first-time users or speakers of Indian languages.
4. Resilient and green sites	Design a way to keep rural or remote sites running through power cuts, heat and storms at lower cost and emissions, from solar and storage to community-run models.

 

Format and timeline

The challenge runs in five stages over about seven months.

1.    Launch (March 2027). Call for entries, themes and briefs published; outreach to universities and startups.

2.    Concept submission (by June 2027). Teams submit a two-page concept and up to ten slides.

3.    Screening and shortlist (July 2027). Jury selects 10 to 15 concepts.

4.    Mentoring (August to September 2027). Shortlisted teams refine concepts with industry and academic mentors, and build prototypes or demonstrations where possible.

5.    Finale (2027). Showcase at the Srijan Sanchar pavilion, jury presentations and awards.

Participants, partners and judging

Eligibility. Open to anyone aged 18 or over: students, researchers, engineers, designers and startups across India, in teams of up to four.

Jury. Drawn from operators, tower companies, device makers, academia, startups and government.

Criterion	Weight
Relevance to India's needs	25%
Feasibility	25%
Impact on availability, cost, energy or inclusion	20%
Originality, checked against what already exists	20%
Clarity of presentation	10%

 

Outcomes and next steps

Winners would receive national recognition at , awards in each theme, and continued mentoring. The strongest concepts would be offered a route to a small pilot or data study with a partner operator or tower company, and introductions to incubators and investors. Every shortlisted team would leave with direct contacts in the industry.