Eight Teams Win ₹15 Lakh Seed Grant at Puduvai Innovation Contest 2026

The Puduvai Innovation Competition (PIC) 2026 concluded with a grand finale at Puducherry Technological University, where eight student teams were awarded a total seed grant of ₹15 lakh. Organized jointly by the Union Ministry of Education, the Government of Puducherry, and PTU under the PM-USHA Scheme, the event attracted 254 teams from engineering colleges across the region. The competition, themed 'From Ideas to Impact,' aimed to transform early-stage concepts into scalable solutions through mentoring and incubation. After four rigorous evaluation levels involving concept submission, prototype presentation, mentorship bootcamps, and final pitches, the top eight teams were selected. In addition to the seed funding, winners received prototyping grants and support from the Atal Incubation Centre-PEC Foundation. Officials, including PTU Vice-Chancellor S. Mohan and Ministry Joint Secretary Armstrong Pame, highlighted the initiative as a crucial step in fostering entrepreneurship and solving real-world problems within the higher education ecosystem of Union Territories.