JMT 2026 - creyateforindia.com

Junior Make-A-Thon (JMT) 2026

India’s Largest K12 Makeathon

IIT Madras, Shaastra Tech Fest

Hackathons, are collaborative events where teams work to solve a problem or create a new product mostly using software tools only. So what makes a Makeathon? Ah, it’s a hackathon with the focus on solving problems with solutions that involve ‘making’, that is design and prototype working models.

And Junior Make-A-Thon (JMT) is a Pan-India Makeathon from Shaastra IIT Madras for inspiring middle & high-schoolers to build solutions to the challenges & opportunities towards a developed India@2047.

Why JMT 2026?

JMT, a flagship event of Shaastra, the annual Tech Fest of IIT Madras now in its 27th edition brings together entertainment, exhibitions, workshops, competitions with thousands of students in attendance. Bringing together leaders from entertainment, industries and academia, it usually starts with pre-events in August 2025 of every year and culminates in a grand finale at IIT Madras for a week from 2nd – 6th January 2026.

JMT is the platform for the best of Indian K12 students to immerse in the ground realities of India and inspire them to ideate and innovate for a truly Viksit Bharat @ 2047

Towards a Viksit Bharat @ 2047 : The Challenge Themes for JMT 2026

To realize the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047, focused attention and innovation in key domains is critical for driving our growth, security and prosperity. We need to ensure that are citizens have access to quality Education & Entrepreneurship that is inclusive, skill-based, and digitally enabled models powering lifelong learning and adaptability while entrepreneurial skills ensure they create the growth platforms. A strong and fit nation demands Healthcare that is scalable, affordable emphasizing on prevention as much as on cure. Food Security driven by sustainable agricultural practices, resilient supply chains, and nutrition- sensitive strategies ensures that we not only feed our country but the world around us. Employment calls for bold innovations in skilling, entrepreneurship, and livelihood generation, ensuring every citizen is productive and gainfully employed. Safety & Security require gender-sensitive infrastructure, advanced road safety systems, and protection across our diverse geographical topographies and growing urban megacities. We need technology powered protection within and beyond our borders against new age threats like cyberattacks, drone swarms or space attacks. Climate resilience must be built through renewable energy adoption, disaster preparedness, and environmentally conscious design to protect our beautiful land while utilizing without over exploitation. Mobility & Manufacturing is essential for us to be connected as a country, provide jobs and compete with nations in an increasingly competitive world. These pillars are deeply interconnected and foundational to building a prosperous, inclusive, developed and future-ready India by 2047.

JMT 2026 is the platform through which we build awareness, understanding and action in our future citizens and current middle and high-schoolers. This is where they will dig deep in one of these domains of their choice, immerse to build awareness, ideate to design innovative solutions and prototype to make them a reality. This is the platform for you to start your true journey of making the India @ 2047. These are the domains along which you will be challenged to bring out you best.

Employment

Employment is a cornerstone of the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, driving economic growth and socialempowerment. Access to meaningful jobs and skill development unlocks individual potential and strengthens India’s global competitiveness. Stable employment lifts families out of poverty, promotes financial independence, and fosters dignity and inclusion. Increased workforce participation enhances gender equality and contributes to national prosperity. Bridging the skill gap and fostering innovation are essential to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving economy.

To truly realize this vision, young innovators must rise to the challenge—designing bold, inclusive, and
scalable means of education and entrepreneurship skilling solutions that create livelihoods, empower
communities, and shape a future-ready India.

Education & Entrepreneurship

Quality education is vital to achieving the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, as it empowers individuals across all sections of society. It builds critical thinking, creativity, and future-ready skills essential for leadership and meaningful careers. Access to education enables upward mobility, breaks the cycle of poverty, and fosters financial independence. Inclusive and equitable learning environments promote confidence, autonomy, and opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship. In rural contexts, education in sustainable agriculture, technology, and financial literacy enhances productivity and resilience. Quality education also drives innovation, research, and digital fluency—strengthening India’s global competitiveness. Entrepreneurship skills ensure we have citizens that not just look for jobs but also create them, something essential to drive growth and innovation.

To accelerate this transformation, young innovators must lead the way—developing bold, inclusive, and scalable solutions that reimagine learning, bridge access gaps, and empower every learner to thrive in a rapidly evolving world to become an entrepreneur employer or be gainfully employed.

Safety and Security

Safety and security are critical enablers of the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, deeply intertwined with economic opportunity, social inclusion, and protecting our country within and beyond borders. Safe campuses, roads, and transport systems ensure well-being while enabling access across regions contributing to national integration and cohesiveness. Affordable and secure mobility reduces barriers to essential services like healthcare and jobs, uplifting entire communities. Safety-focused infrastructure and gender- sensitive transport options empower women to participate confidently in public life, education, and the workforce. As prosperity rises in a globally conflict-ridden world, we need to prepare ourselves of different kinds of threats on air, land, water and in the cyberspace as well through better use of evolving technologies such as AI and Robotics.

A nation where people can move freely, safely, and affordably is one where opportunity is truly accessible. To make this vision a reality, young innovators must design transformative solutions that reimagine mobility, prioritize safety, and ensure we are strong and prepared for a prosperous future.

Food Security

Food security is essential for realizing the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, as it ensures that every citizen has access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food. It directly supports the health and productivity of youth, enabling better learning outcomes and future readiness. For the poor, food security reduces hunger and malnutrition, breaking the cycle of poverty and improving overall well-being. Women benefit through improved maternal health and reduced household stress, allowing greater participation in education and employment. Farmers play a central role—strengthening food systems boosts their income, resilience, and contribution to national development. Sustainable and scalable agriculture and modern supply chains are key to ensuring long-term food availability and reducing waste.

To advance this goal, young innovators must develop bold , scalable and sustainable solutions that
transform food systems, improve yields, and ensure nutrition for all—laying the foundation for a healthy
and inclusive India by 2047.

Healthcare

Healthcare is essential to achieving the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, as it ensures a healthy and productive population. For youth, access to quality healthcare supports physical and mental well-being, enabling better academic and career outcomes. The poor benefit from affordable and accessible services that reduce financial burdens and improve health equity. Women gain from maternal care, reproductive health services, and gender-sensitive programs that promote empowerment and participation. Investments in digital health, medical education, and tech like AI and Robotics are expanding access and improving service delivery. A healthy population is better equipped to drive innovation, growth, and social progress.

To realize this vision, young innovators must lead the way in designing inclusive, tech-enabled, and community-driven healthcare solutions that reach every corner of the nation—ensuring well-being for all by 2047.

Climate Resilience

Climate resilience is vital for achieving the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, as it protects development gains from the impacts of climate change. For youth, education in sustainability and green technologies prepares them to innovate and lead in a changing world. The poor are most vulnerable to climate disasters, so resilient infrastructure and early warning systems help safeguard their lives and livelihoods. Women benefit from secure access to clean water, healthcare, and safe housing, which are often disrupted by climate events. Farmers face challenges like erratic rainfall and soil degradation, making climate-smart agriculture essential for stable yields and income. Renewable energy, afforestation, and sustainable urban planning strengthen national climate resilience. Solutions from AI to EV and more that define green climate resilience should power our growth.

To secure a sustainable future, young innovators must pioneer climate-resilient solutions—from green infrastructure to smart agriculture—that empower communities and protect India’s progress for generations to come.

Mobility and Manufacturing

Safety and mobility are critical enablers of the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, deeply intertwined with economic opportunity, social inclusion, and national progress. Safe campuses, roads, and transport systems ensure well-being while enabling access to education, skill development, and employment across regions. Affordable and secure mobility reduces barriers to essential services like healthcare and jobs, uplifting entire communities. In rural areas, safe and efficient mobility supports the transport of produce, access to markets, and reduction of post-harvest losses—directly impacting productivity and income. Investments in manufacturing ensure more people can be employed and more importantly, India can be self-reliant.

A nation where people can move freely, safely, and affordably is one where opportunity is truly accessible. To make this vision a reality, young innovators must design transformative solutions that reimagine mobility, prioritize safety, and manufacturing them in India ensures we have true independence.

The Unique Format of Junior Makeathon 2026

The focus of the event is to ensure that we move from a nation of Jugaad to true innovation. And that requires true understanding of the problems before solving them. Student teams will be presented a choice of India’s challenges and opportunities around which they will go through and demonstrate deep immersion before ideation and ultimately solution prototyping.

The event columinates with a celebration of winners with prizes, certificates, memories and inspiration for everyone

Getting Started : Understanding Next Steps

Students can form groups of 3 and register their teams across two categories

1. Grades 6 – 8 ( Juniors)
2. Grades 9 – 12 (Seniors)

A school can register as many teams as they want under each category.
Registered teams will be shared the challenge themes to choose from.
Registered teams will attend webinars to understand the process of ideation and immersion and how to submit their entries online.
Teams from Shaastra IIT Madras will evaluate and shortlist 30 teams each from juniors and seniors for each of the 6 regions : Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Raipur and Mumbai.
The regional finalist teams will be presenting their designs to in-person juries in their respective cities. Top 3 teams from juniors and seniors from each regionals will be given prizes and invited to the 3-day in-person finals at IIT Madras.
The 18 teams each in Juniors and Seniors category will undergo bootcamps on tech like AI, IoT, Robotics and mentorship to prototype their designs and present to a grand jury of academia and industry.
Prizes awarded to the top 3 teams in each category : juniors and seniors.

Sounds Exciting!

Still have questions, check out the FAQ

1. How many people can be in one team?

Each team can have a maximum of three members.

2. Is there a registration fee for participating in JMT?

No, there is no registration fee for participating in the JMT.

3. Can teams be formed with students from different grades?

Yes, teams can be composed of students from different eligible grades provided they are of the same category and from the same school.

4. During the immersion phase, is it mandatory to interview people that represent the personas or stakeholders affected by the problem or opportunity?

Yes, it is mandatory to interview the people that represent the personas or stakeholders affected by the problem or opportunity chosen during the immersion phase. The interviews can be in-person (ideally) or online is also fine. The more interviews , the better to get an indepth understanding and build empathy.

5. Is it mandatory to record the interview with the persona?

Yes, it is mandatory to record the interviews so that you can submit them online as part of the immersion process. In case your person is not comfortable with video shooting then, the audio can be recorded.

6. Do the teams have to submit any of the recordings online immediately after the Immersion phase?

The teams can start submitting the artifacts of the immersion process and keep continuing to add if they have any new material even during the ideation phase.

7. What do the teams have to submit at the end of round 1 - Online submissions and shortlisting round?

The teams have to submit the evidence of the immersion phase as well as the ideation phase which describes the ideas they have considered and the one idea that is finalized in detail. Specific Formats for submission will be shared

8. Should the submission at the end of round 1 be in the same format as given by the JMT team?

Yes, the submission should be in the specific formats shared. Additional material like a few slides extra for immersion evidence can be shared in a specific folder called Additional Evidences.

9. Where can the teams check the results of the first round?

The results will be e-mailed to the registered Mentors’ IDs.

10. Will all the students present in the team receive the updates about the event?

No, only the registered Mentors will receive the updates and she/he will update the teams.

11. Do the teams have to present their prototypes during the Semi finals happening regionally?

No, the teams shortlisted need not present their prototypes, they have to present their finalized idea and detailed design sketch to the Jury in a 5 minute presentation format in the semi final round.There will be 30 teams invited to present in each category from each region.

12. Where will the Regional Semi finals happen?

The regional semi-finals will be conducted at NCR, Pune, Chennai, Bengaluru, Raipur and Hyderabad

13. How many teams will be selected to the finals ?

A total of 18 teams in each category ( Juniors and Seniors) will be selected to the finals for in-person prototyping and presentation at IIT Madras. These 18 teams in each category will be the top 3 from each of the 6 regions.

14. Will teams have access to the internet during the makeathon?

Yes, internet access will be available for research and development purposes during the event.

15. Do the teams have to carry any material for prototyping from their place to the finals?

No, they need not bring anything along with them. They have to make the prototype with the material provided to them at the venue. This material will reflect the same that would have been communicated during the ideation phase

16. Will the mentors/chaperones be allowed inside the work area during the makeathon?

No. The chaperones will not be allowed inside the work area. The teams will be on their own inside along with mentors from JMT team.

17. Do the students have to wear their school uniform during the event?

The students have to wear the uniform during exhibiting their prototype to the public and during presentation to the Jury on the final day.

18. Can teams work on more than one problem statement?

No, teams should work only on one problem.

19. Will accommodation be provided to them?

Will be informed to the teams one month before the event.

20. Will Food and transport be provided?

Will be informed to the teams one month before the event.

21. When can they leave on the last day of the event?

Teams can book for their return anytime after 5pm after the event.

22. How is this JMT 2026 different from previous editions?

1. This year, the semi-final round will be held at the regional level across six cities: Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Raipur, Pune, and Delhi.
2. For the final round, students will receive a list of materials available at the venue once they are Shortlisted, along with access to self-paced learning modules to help them understand how to use the materials effectively.
3. Through this make-a-thon, students will engage with real-world problems and opportunities aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 - contributing meaningfully to India's development by proposing innovative, future-ready solutions.

23. Who evaluates the Submissions and the on-site prototypes?

The IIT, JMT team evaluates the submissions of Immersion and Ideation while the final prototype will be evaluated by academia and industry experts.