Gujarat Police Innovation Challenge 2026
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Quick Answer
India's largest hackathon on CCTV integration and AI video analytics by Gujarat Police, offering a ₹51 lakh prize pool to build real-world public safety solutions.
- Funding amount
- Up to ₹51 Lakhs
- Funding type
- Competition
- Provider
- Gujarat Police
- Application deadline
- Closed
- Location
- Open to startups registered in India
Results & next round
Applications for this round closed on 15 September 2026. The organiser has not published a selection list that we can verify yet.
Selections for this programme are announced by Gujarat Police. Official links are listed under Sources below.
We update this page when results are published, and when the next round opens.
About this competition
The Gujarat Police Innovation Challenge 2026, also known as the Gujarat CCTV Hackathon 2026, stands as India's largest hackathon focused on CCTV integration and AI video analytics. This significant initiative, spearheaded by Gujarat Police (Government of Gujarat), is designed for India's innovators and builders to create solutions that protect what matters. Unlike simulations or proof-of-concept exercises, this challenge demands solutions built for real-world deployment.
The core challenge is to unify over 80,000 CCTV cameras across Gujarat into a single, intelligent surveillance network. Participants are tasked with developing advanced AI solutions for real-time suspicious activity detection, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), vehicle tracking, watchlist matching, and cross-camera search, all operating on live CCTV feeds—a pioneering effort in India.
Participants will collaborate directly with Gujarat Police to engineer intelligent CCTV solutions for the future of policing. This involves integrating diverse CCTV systems into a unified platform, cross-referencing live video feeds with Government databases, leveraging AI to identify persons, vehicles, and events of interest, and generating real-time alerts to support faster and smarter law enforcement operations. The technology stack spans feed integration, AI analytics, video intelligence, object and face detection, cybersecurity, and scalable architecture for live monitoring. Participants will work with genuine CCTV footage from active Government infrastructure across departments like Health, Police, GSRTC, Panchayat, and Municipal, within a proving ground of 30+ cameras and a live simulation environment to test production-readiness.
Eligibility
See if you're eligible
Full eligibility criteria — entity type, stage, sector, founder profile and registration requirements — plus your fit for this program. Sign up to view.
Organizers
Gujarat Police, through an initiative by the Home Department, Government of Gujarat, organizes the CCTV Integration Hackathon, a challenge-driven innovation program. This program invites students, researchers, DPIIT-registered startups, industry professionals, and companies to…
Learn moreGujarat Student Startup and Innovation Hub (i-Hub) is a government-backed incubation platform established in 2019 under Gujarat's Student Startup and Innovation Policy (SSIP). Operated by the Education Department of the Government of Gujarat and based in Ahmedabad, i-Hub serves…
Learn moreDhirubhai Ambani University, in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, is a private university established by an Act of the State Government of Gujarat, and was formerly known as the Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology. It specialises in information and…
Learn morePrizes & Awards
- Amount
- Up to ₹51 Lakhs
What You Get
- ₹51,00,000 total prize pool across a Sandbox Round and a Grand Finale.
- Phase 1 – Sandbox Round (₹18,00,000): Category 1 — ₹4,00,000 / ₹2,00,000 / ₹1,00,000; Category 2 — ₹5,00,000 / ₹3,00,000 / ₹2,00,000; plus four ₹25,000 consolation awards across both categories.
- Phase 1 prize money also serves as a grant towards building the final solution for the Grand Finale.
- Phase 2 – Grand Finale (₹31,00,000): winner ₹16,00,000, first runner-up ₹8,00,000, second runner-up ₹7,00,000.
- Additional awards (₹2,00,000): ₹50,000 for each of the three finalists outside the top three, and a ₹50,000 Special Jury Award.
- Build and test against ~50 geographically spread, simulated live CCTV feeds from Government departments (RTSP, WebRTC and HLS endpoints).
- The six finalists integrate with real CCTV feeds at scale and are judged by Gujarat Police leadership and a technical jury.
- Technical guidance and mentoring from knowledge partners National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) and DA-IICT.
- Disbursement
- Lump Sum
- Bootstrap friendly
- Yes
Timelines & Process
Selection Process
Phase 1 (Sandbox Round): teams integrate their solution with the simulated live test feeds and compete within their category. On the hackathon day each team is given a vehicle number and must track that vehicle across camera locations, producing its full route with a timestamped, location-wise movement history. Submissions are assessed on seven areas: the test case on the government feed, the solution presentation, the solution architecture and HLD quality, the maturity of the working platform, the quality of video analytics output, scalability and PoC readiness for ~80,000 cameras, and completeness of the submission. Bonus consideration may be given for extras such as hybrid architectures, cross-camera tracking, edge processing or automated alerts, but it cannot make up for missing mandatory requirements. Demonstrations must show working software — mock-ups and concept videos are not accepted. The top three teams in each category (six in total) advance to Phase 2, the Grand Finale, where they integrate with real CCTV feeds at scale and are evaluated by Gujarat Police leadership and a technical jury, supported by knowledge partners NFSU and DA-IICT.
Application Process
- 1
Register
Create a free account on the Sentinel portal and verify your email.
You - 2
- 3
- 4
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How to apply
Four steps from draft to disbursement — one action each.
- 1
Line up your documents
Keep every document from the checklist ready in one folder. Missing docs are the #1 reason applications get bounced.
- 2
Submit on the official portal
Use the official application link and verify all details before final submission.
- 3
Follow up
Reach out 5–7 days after submitting to confirm receipt and ask about the review timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the last date to apply?
15 September 2026 is the last date to register and upload your submission. Shortlisting is announced the same evening.
When and where is the Grand Finale?
22–23 September 2026 at i-Hub Gujarat. Results and prize distribution are on 23 September 2026.
What is the core challenge?
Integrate CCTV cameras run separately by 26 Government departments into one video management and analytics platform, correlate live feeds with databases such as VAHAN, SARTHI, eGujCop, AFIS and NAFIS, and generate real-time alerts.
Who can take part?
Participants from across India, as individuals or teams. Category 1 covers students, researchers, academic teams and DPIIT-recognised startups. Category 2 covers companies, system integrators, LLPs, partnerships and other businesses.
Do startups need DPIIT recognition?
Startups entering Category 1 must provide a valid DPIIT Startup Recognition Certificate. Businesses without it can take part under Category 2.
Is any integration model compulsory?
Yes. Model 1, the Centralised CCTV Registry & GIS Foundation, is compulsory and must be combined with one or more of the other models. A hybrid or custom architecture is also allowed.
What do I need to upload?
A solution presentation (PPT/PDF), a technical proposal / high-level design, a 2–3 minute demo on your own feed, and a demo on the government feed with an output report. A hosted URL or code repository link is optional.
What is the hackathon-day test?
Teams get a vehicle number and must track it across different camera locations, producing its full route with a timestamped, location-wise movement history.
How is the ₹51 lakh prize pool split?
₹18 lakh in the Phase 1 Sandbox Round (top three in each category plus four consolation awards), ₹31 lakh at the Grand Finale (₹16 lakh, ₹8 lakh and ₹7 lakh), and ₹2 lakh in additional awards.
What data will I work with?
About 12 hours of footage from each of 30+ cameras across five Government departments, served as simulated live streams through RTSP, WebRTC and HLS endpoints. Footage cannot be downloaded.
Who are the knowledge partners?
National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) and Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology (DA-IICT), who provide mentoring and support evaluation.
How do I contact the organisers?
Email sentinel.hackathon@gujarat.gov.in or call +91 95370 89982. The helpdesk is open Monday to Saturday, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Sources
Data on this page is compiled from official program and provider references.
