BackFrequently asked questions

Builder brief

The challenge

Pick one real problem you have faced on an Indian public-service website or digital service. Then build a simpler, clearer and more useful way to solve it.

You could rethink a service related to travel, taxes, pensions, certificates, payments, grievances or any other public need. IRCTC, EPFO and the Income Tax portal are examples, not a fixed list.

What we want you to build

For this hackathon, your prototype should be built with Codex or powered by an OpenAI model. Codex should be a meaningful part of how you build it, not something added only for the submission. If your build is selected among the 10 finalists, OpenAI will provide support. Your prototype should solve the real problem through a complete citizen journey. Use mock data, accounts and backend behavior where production access would be unsafe or unavailable. Reviewers will test the citizen experience, not an admin panel.

Your prototype should:

  • Solve one clearly defined user problem.
  • Let us complete the main journey from start to finish.
  • Be easier to understand or use than the current experience.
  • Be designed for real Indian users, including people on mobile devices, slower connections or with limited digital experience.
  • Use mock or synthetic data wherever personal information, payments, OTPs or government systems would normally be involved.

What a strong build looks like

A strong submission makes these things obvious:

  • Who is facing the problem?
  • What is difficult about the current experience?
  • What did you change?
  • Why is your version better?
  • What works today, and what is still mocked?
  • How could the idea work safely at a larger scale?

Show the complete citizen journey. A static design is not enough. The interface and interactions should work from start to finish, while mocked data and dependencies should be clearly identified.

What not to do

Please do not

  • Try to access, test or interfere with a live government system.
  • Reverse-engineer private systems or use undocumented private APIs.
  • Scrape personal or restricted information.
  • Use real Aadhaar numbers, PAN details, passwords, OTPs, payment details, health information or other sensitive data.
  • Present your prototype as an official government product.
  • Use government logos in a way that suggests approval or partnership.
  • Submit an old project with only small changes.
  • Include code, assets or data you do not have permission to use.

What to submit

The Project Submission form opens at 8:00 PM IST on August 28, 2026 and closes at 10:00 PM IST on August 29, 2026, a 26-hour window. There is no grace period after the form closes.

  • A live public link that opens in a browser without requesting access. Reviewers will not download a mobile app. Include mock consumer login credentials if the project requires them.
  • One video, no longer than two minutes. Use the first minute to demo the project as a citizen and the second minute to explain how you built it and why you made those choices. Both teammates may present.
  • A project summary under 250 words explaining what it is and why it is better than the current solution.
  • Your partner's registered email if you are a team of two. Leave it blank if you registered solo. Both teammates must have registered, but only one teammate submits the Project Submission form for the whole team.

Make sure every link works without requesting access.

To replace a submission, submit the form again before it closes. The latest response for the team is used.

How builds will be judged

Problem
Is this a real and important user problem?
Working build
Does the main journey actually work?
Usability
Is the experience simpler, clearer and more accessible?
Product thinking
Are the choices thoughtful and well explained?
End-to-end thinking
Does the solution address the backend, infrastructure and processes, not just the interface?
Honesty
Are limitations, mock data and dependencies clearly disclosed?

What happens next

Selection runs in two stages after the form closes. Use the same email address at every step: it is how we track your entry, and we cannot move an entry to another address.

  1. Stage 1

    Shortlist of 250

    Every submission received before the private form closes is reviewed by the team together with OpenAI. The top 250 builds are shortlisted, and everyone who submitted gets an email with the result.

    If you are not in the 250, it does not mean the build was bad. The field is large and the competition is strong.

  2. Stage 2

    250 to 10

    The 250 get one week of mentorship: a WhatsApp group with five mentors from engineering, tech and the OpenAI team, to tighten the project. Then you resubmit the improved build in the same format by September 7, 2026, using the same email addresses as before.

    The 10 finalists are announced between September 8 and 12, and the top 250 are honoured on a public page. Finalists present live in Bengaluru on September 12, 2026 to founders, creators, the mentors and invited government officials. Winners are announced the same day.

Selection does not guarantee that a government body will adopt or implement a build. This initiative is meant to start a useful conversation about better public digital experiences.