The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) launched the Blockchain India Challenge on 23rd February 2026 at MeitY, New Delhi.
The event was inaugurated by Shri S. Krishnan IAS, Secretary, MeitY, in the presence of senior officials including Shri Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, Shri Sudeep Srivastava, Joint Secretary, Smt. Sunita Verma, Group Coordinator, Shri Manoj Kumar Jain, Group Coordinator, and Smt. P R Lakshmi Eswari, Scientist G & Centre Head, C-DAC Hyderabad, along with other officials from MeitY and C-DAC. Representatives from various government departments and startups were also present.
The challenge, implemented by C-DAC with MeitY’s support, aims to encourage Indian startups to develop blockchain-based digital governance solutions. It focuses on permissioned blockchain systems that prioritize regulatory control, security, auditability, and tamper-proof records.
Focus Areas
The Blockchain India Challenge addresses critical governance and service delivery domains, including:
- E-procurement
- Supply chain management
- Public distribution system
- Education
- Healthcare
- Agriculture
- Power
- Internet of Things (IoT)
- Land records
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Environment & sustainability
Startups are also encouraged to propose solutions beyond these areas in collaboration with government departments.
Secretary MeitY’s Remarks
Shri S. Krishnan highlighted the importance of blockchain in government services, noting that it provides verifiability and a single source of truth across multiple sources, enhancing transparency and efficiency. He emphasized that startups can explore impactful use cases beyond the ten identified domains. He also asked teams from C-DAC and MeitY to expand participation among startups and focus on developing field-ready solutions that can be scaled across India.
Startup Opportunities and Funding
Startups recognized by DPIIT, in collaboration with government departments, will have the opportunity to transform ideas into real-world solutions. Selected startups will receive stage-wise funding to develop ten blockchain-based use cases across ten categories for government departments.
Eligible startups can participate by submitting innovative ideas for the identified application areas. Detailed information on eligibility, registration, use cases, guidelines, intellectual property rights (IPR), and other details is available on the official challenge website: challenge.cdac.in