Solve a real problem
Teams work on a problem they have actually seen — not a set question with a known answer.
Cohort 1 · 2026 Inter-school innovation challenge
ProdigyIdeathon
An ideathon that rewards reasoning, not just an idea.
From real problems to real solutions.
Prodigy Ideathon is a structured inter-school innovation challenge for students in Classes 9–12 in Ghaziabad and Delhi NCR. Teams identify a real-world problem, research it, design a solution and defend their reasoning before expert judges.
- Who
- Classes 9–12Teams of 2–4
- When
- September – October 2026
- Where
- Ghaziabad · Delhi NCR
- Why
- Real-world problemsExpert mentorshipRecognition & awards
- Problem-solving
- Critical thinking
- Research
- Creativity
- Teamwork
- Communication
- Presentation
- Innovation mindset
- Practical use of AI & technology
Prodigy Ideathon · Cohort 1 at a glance
- 7+
- 1,000+
- 6
- 3
Organised by Tera Compute LLP — DPIIT-recognised startup · MSME registered · Incubated at IPEC TBI · Supported under MeitY GENESIS EIR 1.0.
01 What is Prodigy Ideathon
An ideathon that rewards reasoning, not just an idea
What is Prodigy Ideathon?
Prodigy Ideathon is an inter-school innovation challenge for students in Classes 9–12, organised by Tera Compute LLP. Over roughly six days, teams of 2–4 students identify a real-world problem, research it, design a solution concept and pitch it to expert judges. Cohort 1 is the first edition, running September–October 2026 in Ghaziabad and across Delhi NCR.
Teams are not asked to arrive with an idea — they are asked to work through a sequence and present the reasoning behind it.
A challenge, not a class
Six days of structured work where students identify a real-world problem, research it, design a solution concept and pitch it before expert judges.
Reasoning over prototypes
Teams are judged on problem understanding, originality, solution quality, impact and how well they defend it — not on building hardware.
Run through schools
Students take part in teams of 2–4 through a participating school. The School Round happens on the school’s own campus.
Built to recur
Cohort 1 is the first edition of an ongoing programme. The format, rubric and expert network are designed to run again, and grow.
Prodigy Ideathon Cohort 1: key facts
- Programme
- Prodigy Ideathon Cohort 1
- Format
- Inter-school innovation challenge
- Organiser
- Tera Compute LLP (Tera Compute)
- Who can take part
- Students in Classes 9–12, in teams of 2–4, through a participating school
- Dates
- September – October 2026. Exact date agreed with each school.
- Location
- Participating schools in Ghaziabad and Delhi NCR
- Participation fee
- ₹100 per student, collected through the school
- Challenge themes
- Aqua Next, Circular Futures, Sustainability Frontiers, EduNova, HealthForward, Open Impact
- Recognition
- Certificate for every participant; school trophies; Grand Finale cash awards of ₹10,000 / ₹7,000 / ₹5,000
- Register
- A school representative registers the school at prodigyideathon.teracompute.co/register
02 Why participate
Six things a team takes away
Every benefit here is part of the confirmed Cohort 1 programme — nothing aspirational, nothing implied.
Turn observation into a case
A structured route from noticing something to defending a solution: identify, research, ideate, design, pitch.
Learn to use AI well
Included expert workshops build real AI literacy and applied-technology skills, used responsibly.
Work as a team
Teams of 2–4 divide research, design and delivery — and answer the judges together.
Get expert feedback
Every team is scored on a transparent 50-mark rubric and hears directly from the judging panel.
Be recognised
A certificate for every participant, trophies for school winners, and a route to the inter-school Grand Finale.
03 How it works
Register to Grand Finale, in six stages
How does Prodigy Ideathon work?
A school registers first. Its students then form teams of 2–4, pick one of six challenge themes and build a solution deck in the prescribed format. Every team pitches at the School Round on campus (3 minutes plus Q&A). The top teams advance to the School Finale, and each school's top 3 teams reach the inter-school Grand Finale.
- 01
Register
The school registers first. Teams of 2–4 students from Classes 9–12 then register through the official school-issued form. A school fields a minimum of 30 teams to be eligible to host its School Round.
- 02
Select a theme
Each team chooses one of the six challenge pathways, including Open Impact. The theme sets the territory; the team chooses the specific problem.
- 03
Build the solution deck
Teams follow the official Prodigy Ideathon pitch-deck structure so every presentation stays comparable and complete: Problem, Why it matters, Innovation, Solution, Impact & feasibility.
- 04
School Pitching Round
All registered teams present on their own campus. Multiple judging panels may run in parallel depending on the number of teams. Teams are called from class in controlled batches so the timetable keeps running.
- 05
School Finale
The top 3 teams from each judging panel advance. A combined panel coordinated by Tera Compute decides the School Champion, Runner-Up and Third Place.
- 06
Grand Finale
The top 3 teams from every participating school qualify. The Grand Jury determines the overall Champion, Runner-Up and Second Runner-Up of Prodigy Ideathon.
04 Challenge themes
Six pathways for real-world problems
Each team selects one theme at registration. A theme sets the territory — the team chooses the specific problem to solve within it.
THEME 01 Water Innovation
Aqua Next
Water conservation, quality, access, monitoring, efficiency and responsible use.
THEME 02 Waste & Materials Innovation
Circular Futures
Waste reduction, segregation, recycling, reuse, circular systems and responsible consumption.
THEME 03 Sustainability Innovation
Sustainability Frontiers
Climate, energy, sustainable living, green technology, biodiversity and environmental resilience.
THEME 04 Education Innovation
EduNova
Learning, accessibility, student experience, teacher support, educational technology and future-ready learning.
THEME 05 Health Innovation
HealthForward
Preventive health, wellbeing, accessibility, awareness, healthcare systems and technology-enabled support.
THEME 06 Open Innovation
Open Impact
Any meaningful real-world problem that does not fit neatly under the other five themes.
05 Who it's for
A clear pathway for every audience
Who can participate in Prodigy Ideathon Cohort 1?
Prodigy Ideathon Cohort 1 is open to students in Classes 9–12, taking part in teams of 2–4 through a participating school. Students cannot register individually — registration is coordinated by the school. Schools, educators, mentors and partner organisations each have their own way to take part.
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Students, Classes 9–12
Take part in a team of 2–4 through your school. Pick a theme, work the five-step journey, and pitch your solution to expert judges.
How it works → -
Schools & institutions
Bring Prodigy Ideathon to your campus. You provide a venue and a nominated judge; Tera Compute provides the framework, external judging, rubric, certificates and two workshops.
Register your school → -
Educators & coordinators
Run the programme with light lift. Batch-wise calling keeps the timetable intact, and a faculty AI workshop is included.
Explore workshops → -
Mentors & industry experts
Judge a School Round panel or a Finale, or lead a session. Bring a real-world lens to the way students frame and defend problems.
Get in touch → -
Organisations & partners
Support the programme as a knowledge, innovation, education, industry or community partner — or host the Grand Finale.
Call for partnerships →
06 Timeline
Key dates for Cohort 1
Cohort 1 runs September – October 2026. School onboarding closes 10 September 2026; School Rounds run from 20 September 2026; the Grand Finale is held by 21 October 2026. Exact per-school dates are agreed with each school.
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School registration
A principal, teacher or coordinator registers the school. Tera Compute confirms participation and issues the official student registration form.
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School onboarding & MoU
The school signs the MoU, circulates official collateral internally, selects two expert workshops and confirms its final participating student count.
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Student & team registration
Until onboarding closes
Eligible Classes 9–12 students register in teams of 2–4 and complete the ₹100 participation fee through the official school-issued form. Each team picks one challenge theme.
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Research, ideation & deck build
Teams work through the five-step journey — identify, research, ideate, design, pitch — and build their solution deck in the prescribed format.
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School Pitching Round
On the school campus
Every registered team presents a 3-minute pitch with 2 minutes of Q&A. One school-nominated judge and one Tera Compute judge score independently on each panel.
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School Finale
The top 3 teams per panel advance. A combined panel names the School Champion, Runner-Up and Third Place. The top 3 qualify for the Grand Finale.
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Grand Finale
Inter-school
The top 3 teams from every participating school compete before the Grand Jury for the Champion, Runner-Up and Second Runner-Up titles of Prodigy Ideathon Cohort 1.
07 Recognition & awards
Every participant leaves with something
What do Prodigy Ideathon winners get?
Every participating student receives a Certificate of Participation. School winners (1st, 2nd, 3rd) receive trophies and recognition certificates. At the Grand Finale, the Champion wins ₹10,000, the Runner-Up ₹7,000 and the Second Runner-Up ₹5,000, along with the championship titles of Prodigy Ideathon Cohort 1.
₹Grand Finale cash awards
₹22,000 total cash pool, plus championship titles
- 1st Champion ₹10,000
- 2nd Runner-Up ₹7,000
- 3rd Second Runner-Up ₹5,000
Awarded at the inter-school Grand Finale by the Grand Jury. Every participating student also receives a Certificate of Participation, and school winners receive trophies.
08 Experts & jury
Who guides and judges the programme
Expert-led workshops and judging coordination are led by Tera Compute's resource people. Named Grand Jury members are announced ahead of the Grand Finale.
Dr. Tanveer Ikram
Senior AI & Technology Expert · International AI Trainer
Strategic Mentor & Resource Person, Tera Compute
Experience
- 30+ years across education, software development, digital transformation and applied innovation.
- Has worked across Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore.
- Former Professor (CSE–AI) and former Head, Software Development Cell at IPEC.
Focus areas
Akshat Malhotra
Student Technology & Innovation Resource Person
Co-Founder, Tera Compute LLP
Experience
- Applied AI and hardware systems builder with a build-and-demonstrate teaching approach.
- IoT and robotics practitioner working with Classes 9–12 on applied engineering systems.
Focus areas
Muskan Malhotra
Communication & Confidence Facilitator
Aviation Professional · Customer Experience Specialist · 7+ years
Experience
- Cabin-crew and customer-experience specialist bringing crew-resource-management practice into the classroom.
- Leads sessions on communication, composure under pressure and teamwork for students and educators.
Focus areas
Grand Jury · being confirmed
Named jurors announced before the Grand Finale
Every School Round panel has one school-nominated judge and one Tera Compute judge. The School Finale and Grand Jury panels are coordinated by Tera Compute, with named members published closer to the event.
See the judging model →09 Partners & ecosystem
Build the next generation of innovators with us
How can an organisation partner with Prodigy Ideathon?
Organisations can join Prodigy Ideathon as a Knowledge, Innovation, Education, Industry or Community partner, host the Grand Finale, or support the wider programme as a Strategic Partner. Partnerships are scoped as real experiences: a session, a challenge, a judging seat, not logo placement. Start with the Call for Partnerships page and the enquiry form.
Cohort 1 · partner slots open
- Host Partner — Grand Finale venue
- Knowledge & Innovation Partners
- Education & Community Partners
- Industry Partners & practitioner judges
10 FAQ
Questions people ask first
Short, direct answers to the most common questions. The full FAQ covers eligibility, teams, fees, judging, timeline, workshops, recognition and partnerships.
Who can participate in Prodigy Ideathon?
Prodigy Ideathon is open to students in Classes 9–12 through participating schools. Students take part as teams and follow the eligibility and participation requirements communicated by the organisers.
Participation
How does a school register for Prodigy Ideathon?
A designated school representative (a principal, teacher or coordinator) submits the school’s details through “Register your school”. Tera Compute then confirms participation and coordinates the next steps, including the MoU and the official student registration form.
Participation
Do students need to build a physical prototype?
No. A physical prototype is not mandatory unless specifically required for a particular challenge or instruction communicated by the organisers. Students are expected to identify a meaningful real-world problem, research it, develop a practical solution concept and present it through the prescribed pitch-deck format.
Eligibility & teams
What is the participation fee?
The participation fee is ₹100 per participating student. Each student pays the same fee whether their team has 2, 3 or 4 members.
Fees
When does Prodigy Ideathon take place?
Prodigy Ideathon Cohort 1 is scheduled for September–October 2026. The exact event date is mutually decided with each participating school to encourage maximum student participation.
Timeline
What do winners receive?
At the school level, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place teams receive trophies and recognition certificates. At the Grand Finale, the top three teams win cash awards along with the championship titles of Prodigy Ideathon Cohort 1: the Champion wins ₹10,000, the Runner-Up ₹7,000 and the Second Runner-Up ₹5,000, a ₹22,000 cash pool.
Recognition
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Take part
Ready to turn a problem into impact?
Prodigy Ideathon Cohort 1 is registering schools now. A principal, teacher or coordinator can start in a few minutes.