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Submit your design to the Design for Bharat

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About

The The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MoYAS) will host the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue (VBYLD) 2026 in January 2026. As part of this initiative, Design for Bharat has been launched as a national design challenge to inspire young people to shape India’s future through creativity and innovation. Open to youth aged 18–29, the competition invites participants from across all 36 States and Union Territories to design solutions rooted in India’s realities. Ideas that address social, cultural and economic challenges while contributing to meaningful change. It aims to inspire innovations aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 while encouraging teamwork, creativity, and critical thinking across India’s diverse contexts. The platform provides young designers the opportunity to bring their ideas to life with mentoring from experts and the chance to showcase their work at the national level. More than an award, Design for Bharat is about nurturing a culture where design becomes a force for transformation, positioning young people as active nation-builders on the path to Viksit Bharat 2047.

Theme

India’s richness lies in its complexities and contrasts, extremes that coexist in health, education, agriculture, connectivity and everyday life. These dualities shape our realities, and within them lie powerful opportunities for design to make a difference. The theme of this year’s challenge, Duality (Dwividhta), invites young people to explore these in-between spaces where real innovation and impact often begin. Seven categories have been identified to provide direction while allowing scope for creativity. Each of these areas embodies pressing dualities, from obesity and malnutrition, to urban congestion and rural isolation, to high-tech farming and marginalised farmers. The competition channels such complexities into opportunities for socially engaged design.

Categories

Health, Wellness and Mental Health

Addressing the paradox of obesity alongside malnutrition, or addiction alongside wellness.

Education and learning

Designing new ways of access, inclusion, and quality.

Connectivity and Transport

From congested urban mobility to lack of basic rural access.

Agriculture

spanning hydroponics and drone irrigation at one end, and marginalised farmers at the other.

Sports and Hobbies

Innovations that promote healthy, creative, and engaged lifestyles.

Safety and Protection

Addressing concerns from physical safety to digital security.

Sustainability

balancing economic growth with ecological responsibility.

Who can Participate?

Eligibility
  • Open to all students enrolled in colleges, universities, or institutes in India who are citizens of India and between 18 and 29 years of age at the time of application.
Individual or Group Entries
  • Both individual and group (maximum 3 members) projects are eligible.
  • For group submissions, only one representative should register on behalf of the group.
  • A letter of certification from the institution must be uploaded along with the application.

What’s the Process

If you are eligible, register by clicking on Participate Now.Design for Bharat is a three stage competition Compete at the State level → Refine with mentorship → Showcase nationally at VBYLD 2026.Stage 1: Compete From your state, for the nation
  • Submit your entry directly or through your college or nodal institution, as applicable
  • Entries will be shortlisted and judged by expert panels
  • State winners will be celebrated at felicitation events in mid November
  • The top entries from each State and Union Territory will move to the national stage.
Stage 2: Mentorship by Design experts strengthen your idea, with guidance
  • State-level winners will be reviewed for innovation, originality and impact
  • Finalists will receive mentoring and guidance to refine their projects
  • The finalists will be guided to prepare their projects for public presentation.
Stage 3: National Felicitation & Showcase Lead your way to Viksit Bharat 2047
  • Finalists will be invited to New Delhi for the National showcase.
  • Finalists will receive mentoring sessions in New Delhi for preparation for the National Showcase.
  • Showcase of projects at the national exhibition in January 2026, during VBYLD
  • Recognition at the highest level as youth shaping India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047

Preparing your Entry

Submission: All entries must be submitted in digital format through the official competition portal. Providing highquality digital material is mandatory, as it enables the jury to fully understand the concept, function, and potential of your design. A design proposal including a brief concept note (max 500 words) and supporting visuals (sketches, diagrams, or prototypes) is required for submission. The details of your submission are as follows:Concept Note (max 500 words): A brief description of your design idea/ project/ innovation outlining the larger concept, vision, impact, function, and potential of your design.
  1. Poster 1 – Concept: Visuals highlighting the primary function, purpose, or solution the idea addresses.
  2. Poster 2 – Main Visual: Central image/ render/ sketch/ images of the prototype of the design, with a clean layout with minimal text and a hero shot for the concept.
  3. Posters 3–5 – Detailed Description & Process: Detailed description of the design concept/ idea outlining the process undertaken and how the concept fulfils its purpose, e.g., background, user needs, research, ideation, prototyping steps shown visually, flowcharts, benefits, usability, features, etc.
  4. Posters 6–7 – Supplementary Information: Supplementary information about the design concept/ idea, such as focus on sustainability, innovation (materials, energy efficiency, eco-conscious approach), or technology (IoT, AI, system integration, scalability, impact at a larger scale) among others.
Technical Specifications: Maximum up to: 7 posters File format: jpg/pdf Resolution: 300dpi Maximum file size: 20Mb per poster Declaration: Participants must provide a declaration confirming originality of the work and consent for display in exhibitions/publications related to the competition. Quick Checklist to Enter
  • You are a student enrolled in a college/ university/ institute
  • You are an Indian citizen between 18–29 years of age
  • You are entering individually or in a team of up to 3 members
  • You have a letter of certification from your institute
  • Your idea connects to the theme Duality, Dwividhta and fits one of the seven categories
  • You submit a short concept note (up to 500 words) and a max. of 7 posters
  • You make the submission before the deadline via your State/UT nodal institution
  • You confirm the work is original and give consent for it to be showcased

What’s the timeline

Call for Entries October 16, 2025
Last date for Submission November 10, 2025
Declaration of State Level Results Mid November, 2025
State Level Award ceremony Mid November, 2025
National Level Mentoring (online) December 15-30, 2025
National Level Mentoring (in-person) January 10-11, 2025
National Level Judging January 12, 2026
National Showcasing & Award Ceremony January 12, 2026

Winning Edge

The true reward of Design for Bharat lies in the impact your ideas can create. This competition is not only about presenting a concept, it is about using design as a tool to bring meaningful change in the lives of people and communities. By addressing real challenges drawn from India’s social, cultural, and economic fabric, participants have the chance to show how design can inspire solutions that matter. Winners will gain national visibility and recognition, with their projects showcased before leaders, experts and peers from across the country. Beyond awards, the competition offers mentorship to help refine ideas and transform them into stronger, more actionable proposals. This journey provides young innovators the edge to grow their skills, strengthen their voice, and position themselves as changemakers in India’s path to Viksit Bharat 2047. Your design could be the one that makes the difference.

FAQs

Q1. What is Design for Bharat, who is organizing this competition and what are the objectives of this competition?

The Design for Bharat challenge is envisioned as a national platform to nurture creativity, innovation, and its application towards entrepreneurship among youth aged 17 to 29. It provides the youth a platform to engage directly with societal challenges and explore our rich cultural diversity, ensuring that their design innovations move beyond abstract exercises to tangible responses, to bring forth their experiences and conditions encountered in daily life. The award celebrates young innovators and their ideas, not commercial work or speculative practice for clients. The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MoYAS), through the Department of Youth Affairs (DoYA), is organising the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue (VBYLD) 2026 in January 2026 under the leadership of the Honourable Prime Minister. As part of this initiative, Design for Bharat has been conceived as a flagship design competition under the VBYLD Challenge track. By foregrounding culturally rooted and socially relevant innovation, the competition aims to promote the power of design as a tool for transformation. The objective of the competition is to recognise outstanding contributions at the highest levels of leadership along with cultivating a culture where thinking through design and social innovation become central to India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047.

Q2. How can I register for the Design for Bharat competition?

You can register online through the official Design for Bharat portal on mybharat.gov.in by filling in your details.

Q3. Am I eligible to participate?

Yes, you are eligible to participate if you are a citizen of India, enrolled in a college, university, or institute in India, and aged between 18 and 29 years at the time of application.

Q4. What are the elements of my application?

  • You are entering individually or in a team of up to 3
  • Your idea connects to the theme Duality (Dwividhta) and fits one of the seven categories
  • You submit a short concept note (up to 500 words) and max. of 7 posters (jpg, max 7 Mb each) with You make the submission before the deadline via your State/UT nodal institution
  • You confirm the work is original and give consent for it to be showcased

Q5. Do I have to pay any fees?

No. Participation in Design for Bharat is completely free of cost.

Q6. Do I need to hand in a prototype or model?

No, it is not mandatory. However supporting visualizations, 3Ds, mock-ups, prototypes are highly encouraged.

Q7. Can an interdisciplinary team (Design and Engineering or other) participate, and what is the maximum team size?

Yes! Interdisciplinary teams are welcome. A team can have a maximum of 3 members, with one representative registering on behalf of the group.

Q8. Can I change my entry data after registering?

No changes can be made after submission, so double-check all details before uploading.

Q9. Can one person submit multiple entries?

No, individuals cannot submit more than one entry under the same registered account.

Q10. What are the awards/prizes for winners?

National and state winners may receive a variety of recognitions including certificates, trophies, mentorship, and the chance to showcase their designs at national-level events

Q11. What should I do if I face technical issues while submitting?

If you experience any technical issues, contact the support team via the Help/Contact section on the competition portal or email the provided helpdesk address.