Deadline: 17 October 2026. The Maharashtra chapter of the Seva First Innovation Challenge 2026 — covering Maharashtra, Goa, Chhattisgarh and Daman & Diu — is accepting applications until 17 October, with a total prize pool of ₹5 crore, the Free Press Journal reported, citing Skill Development Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha.
This is a separate regional edition from the southern-states chapter of the same challenge (deadline 24 October, ₹5.4 crore) — if you're based in Maharashtra, Goa, Chhattisgarh or Daman & Diu, this chapter is yours.
Eligibility is wide: individuals, students and student groups, researchers, professors, startups, MSMEs, companies, social organisations, and educational and research institutions. Innovations are sought across ten sectors — agriculture; law and order; women and child welfare; urban development; health and medical services; defence; sustainability, energy and climate; infrastructure and mobility; emerging tech including AI and blockchain; and education and employability.
Selected innovations get pilot projects, government procurement opportunities, incubation, investment and market access — a package that converts a winning entry into real deployment with government machinery behind it.
Why it matters for founders
Government innovation challenges are non-dilutive capital plus the rarest prize of all: a government procurement pipeline. A ₹5 crore pool with pilot and procurement on the table is worth a focused application this week — especially for AI, health and climate startups in the eligible states.
Find these funders and apply in one click — browse 4,000+ investors at /investors, then apply with your kit at /apply-kit.