Union Minister of Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy today launched the Critical Minerals Innovation Hackathon 2026 (CMiH 2026), aimed at advancing the objectives of the National Critical Mineral Mission by encouraging students, researchers, academic and R&D institutions, start-ups and innovators to develop technology-driven solutions for critical minerals.
The hackathon will focus on two key problem statements:
- Mineral Prospectivity Mapping from Open Data: Developing a prospectivity heatmap for lithium or rare earth element (REE) pegmatites, validated against known mineral occurrences.
- Smart Technology and Patent Tracker for Critical Minerals: Creating an intuitive web-based system to track R&D and patents related to critical minerals.
The hackathon will be organised and hosted by JNARDDC, Nagpur, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Mines. Participants will have an opportunity to showcase their ideas, receive expert mentorship and contribute to building a secure and self-reliant critical minerals ecosystem.
The last date for idea submission is September 20, 2026. Winners will be announced during India Mining Week 2026, scheduled for November 15–17.
For each problem statement, two winning teams will be awarded prizes:
- First Prize: ₹1.50 lakh
- Second Prize: ₹1.00 lakh
The hackathon is intended to strengthen India’s critical mineral security while promoting innovation, research and technological self-reliance.
Detailed information on the hackathon, problem statements, guidelines and registration is available on the JNARDDC website.
