Kanpur, February 16, 2026: The Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre, IIT Kanpur, in collaboration with the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), invites students, researchers, developers, startups, and innovators to participate in the PFRDA Hackathon 2026 – Innovate4NPS.

This national-level hackathon aims to encourage the development of impactful, technology-driven solutions for strengthening and modernising India’s pension ecosystem.

Key Focus Areas

Participants are expected to build innovative solutions across four major problem statements: Seamless Digital NPS Onboarding & KYC (simplified and secured citizen onboarding at scale), Pension & Retirement Forecasting Tools (enable data-driven and future-ready financial planning), Gamified Pension Awareness Platforms (enhance engagement and promoting early adoption among young citizens), AI-Powered Multilingual NPS Assistant (make pension services inclusive, accessible, and intelligent).

Why Participate

The hackathon offers participants an opportunity to work at the intersection of FinTech, public policy, cybersecurity, and large-scale digital systems, with a focus on developing solutions that can move beyond prototypes and support real-world deployment.

Benefits for Participants

The program offers a substantial prize pool of ₹19 lakhs, providing strong financial support to promising ideas. Selected teams will receive six months of structured mentorship from experienced domain experts, enabling them to refine their solutions and strengthen their technical and strategic approach. Participants will also have the opportunity to develop deployable Proofs-of-Concept (PoCs) tailored for a national public system, ensuring real-world relevance and scalability. In addition, the platform offers national-level visibility across the innovation ecosystem of PFRDA and IIT, opening doors to recognition, collaboration, and future growth opportunities.

Eligibility

This hackathon is open to students, startups, developers, and technology Innovators.

Important Dates

Registration Deadline: 19 February 2026
Apply Here: https://app.apixplatform.com/h1/pfrda2026

About the Initiative

Innovate4NPS is a national innovation initiative aimed at accelerating technology solutions for the National Pension System (NPS) and building a stronger, citizen-centric pension ecosystem for India.

About SIIC, IIT Kanpur

Established in 2000, the Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC) at IIT Kanpur is one of India’s earliest and largest technology business incubators with over 25 years of experience. Currently nurturing over 500 startups, SIIC provides comprehensive support in domains including defense, aerospace, fintech, healthcare, and sustainability. SIIC operates under the Foundation for Research & Innovation in Science & Technology (FIRST), a Section-8 company promoted by IIT Kanpur.

About IIT Kanpur

The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, established in 1959, is recognized as an Institute of National Importance by the Government of India. Renowned for excellence in science, engineering, and interdisciplinary education, IIT Kanpur spans a 1,050-acre lush green campus and comprises 20 departments, 27 centres, three interdisciplinary programmes, and three specialized schools. With over 570 faculty members and more than 9,500 students, the institute continues to lead in innovation, research, and holistic development.

For more information, please visit: www.iitk.ac.in