Union Minister of Coal and Mines Shri G. Kishan Reddy launched the Critical Minerals Innovation Hackathon 2026 (CMiH 2026) on August 25, 2026, as part of the National Critical Mineral Mission. The initiative aims to strengthen India's critical minerals ecosystem by inviting students, researchers, R&D institutions, start-ups, and innovators to develop innovative technical solutions for mineral exploration and technology intelligence challenges.
The hackathon focuses on two specific problem statements: Mineral Prospectivity Mapping from Open Data, which requires developing a prospectivity heatmap for lithium or rare earth element (REE) pegmatites validated against known mineral occurrences; and Smart Technology and Patent Tracker for Critical Minerals, which involves creating an intuitive, web-based Smart R&D and Patent Tracking System for critical minerals.
JNARDDC, Nagpur, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Mines, will serve as the organizing body and host institute for CMiH 2026. The last date for idea submission is September 20, 2026, with winners to be announced during India Mining Week 2026 scheduled from November 15-17, 2026. The competition will award two winning teams for each problem statement, with first prize of ₹1.50 lakh and second prize of ₹1.00 lakh per statement.
The hackathon provides a platform for participants to showcase ideas, receive expert mentorship, and contribute to building a secure and self-reliant critical minerals ecosystem in India. Detailed information regarding the hackathon, problem statements, guidelines, and registration is available on the JNARDDC website at https://jnarddc.gov.in/.