Mumbai/Pune/Delhi/Hyderabad : NICMAR, India’s premier and dedicated institution for Construction, Real Estate, Infrastructure and Project Management education (CRIP), has announced the launch of the Bharat Nav-Nirmaan Challenge, a nationwide initiative aimed at encouraging undergraduate students in solving real-world challenges linked to India’s built environment and nurture breakthrough ideas that can transform the country’s infrastructure landscape.
This one-of-a-kind challenge offers prizes worth Rs 30 lakh and is supported by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). The Bharat Nav-Nirmaan Challenge is open to students in Final and Pre-Final year of civil engineering, architecture, planning and allied disciplines across Indian colleges and universities. Designed as a structured, multi-stage programme, it provides participants with an opportunity to apply their technical learning to practical infrastructure issues while gaining exposure to the academic and industry ecosystem that supports India’s infrastructure development.
Welcoming the Bharat Nav-Nirmaan Challenge as an opportunity for budding students to bring their creative and practical knowledge in one platform, Dr Tapash Kumar Ganguli, Director General (Interim), NICMAR said, “India is entering its most ambitious decade of infrastructure expansion and the demand for skilled problem-solvers with engineering foundations has never been higher. The Bharat Nav-Nirmaan Challenge is our commitment to empower young minds to be part of our nation’s future infrastructure story. India needs innovative thinkers and this platform gives students a meaningful starting point to explore their interests and contribute ideas that align with the country’s development priorities.”
With free registration, student groups comprising of three members (pre-final or final year students), can apply through their colleges. Interdisciplinary approach is encouraged with the requirement of at least two members from civil engineering, architecture or allied disciplines. Participating student groups must submit a brief concept outlining their solution to an infrastructure-related problem.
The Challenge follows five structured stages, College-Level Round, Online Submission Round, City Finale, Regional Finale, and the Grand Finale which will be held in Mumbai. One winning team per college qualifies for the next round, where selected teams enter a national pool to submit detailed proposals. These proposals will form the first layer of evaluation for the jury. This is followed by the City Finales, hosted across key urban centres, where winners will progress to Regional Finales, hosted at NICMAR campuses in Pune, Hyderabad, and Delhi-NCR. One regional winner from each region will participate in the National Grand Finale in Mumbai.
The winners of the Bharat Nav-Nirmaan challenge will receive exciting set of rewards such as infrastructure excellence tour to Dubai, MacBooks, VR headsets, drone trophies and more.
Throughout the contest, participants will gain access to mentorship from NICMAR experts, workshops with engineers, planners, and innovation leaders. Submissions may focus on areas such as construction technology, sustainability, digital construction, mobility, housing, or urban development. Shortlisted teams will be paired with NICMAR faculty and industry mentors to refine their ideas and strengthen feasibility.
For full information and application, students are encouraged to register their team: https://bharatnavnirmaan.com/
Over four decades, NICMAR has been regarded as India’s most respected specialised institution in the built environment, with over 12,000 alumni across 34 countries, 200+ recruiters, and a track record of excellence in shaping industry-ready leaders.
