* A first-of-its-kind platform connecting Earth Observation, climate intelligence, and public policy to build India’s future space innovation talent pipeline.
As India accelerates its ambitions in space, climate resilience, and digital governance, a new platform is rising to match that momentum with talent. The GEO Niti Ideathon, jointly organised by the Space Industry Association of India (SIA-India) and the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC), will make its debut as a landmark side event at the 5th Indian Space Congress (ISC) 2026, to be held in New Delhi from 15–17 June 2026.
Hosted as a partnered event at India Space Congress 2026, one of India's leading gatherings of policymakers, industry leaders, startups, academia, investors, and global space stakeholders, GEO-Niti will provide participants with a unique opportunity to showcase their ideas on a premier national and international platform and engage directly with leaders shaping the future of the space ecosystem.
Positioned as India’s first national Space Policy Ideathon, GEO Niti is not just a contest, it is a deliberate, structured effort to build a future-ready policy and innovation talent pipeline for the country.
Why Now, Why This?
India is entering a defining decade. Earth Observation satellites, digital public infrastructure, geospatial intelligence, and climate analytics are no longer niche technologies, they are fast becoming the backbone of how India plans cities, manages farmlands, responds to disasters, and governs its coastlines.
Yet a critical gap persists: the bridge between data and decision-making. Powerful satellite datasets go underutilised in policy corridors. Young professionals with the technical skills rarely get a structured pathway to engage with governance. GEO Niti is designed to close that gap.
“India has the data, the platforms, and the ambition,” said Mr. Anil Prakash, Director General, SIA-India. “GEO-Niti is about unlocking the potential of India’s young talent and empowering them to translate space-based insights into meaningful policy action. Through SIA-India’s flagship platform, India Space Congress, participants will have the opportunity to showcase their ideas on an international stage and engage with leaders shaping the future of the global space ecosystem.”
What is GEO Niti?
GEO Niti, meaning Earth Policy challenges student and early-career teams (ages 18–35) to develop integrated, implementation-ready policy proposals using Indian Earth Observation platforms including Bhuvan, MOSDAC, VEDAS, and NRSC products, alongside global datasets.
Participants are required to develop integrated policy proposals that combine governance mechanisms with practical implementation strategies across four national challenge themes:
* Air Pollution, Climate Change & Public Health
* Agriculture, Climate Risk & Rural Livelihoods
* Coastal Resilience & Blue Economy
* Space-Enabled Urban & Transport Infrastructure
Competition Format
The programme combines expert masterclasses, proposal submissions, mentorship, jury evaluations, and on-site presentations at India Space Congress 2026, culminating in a public finale and awards ceremony. Participants will be evaluated by an expert jury comprising leading practitioners from India's space, geospatial, and policy communities, ensuring that solutions are assessed not only for innovation but also for their practical relevance, feasibility, and implementation potential.
Building a Talent Pipeline for India’s Space Age
GEO Niti is more than a competition. It is a platform for national capacity building at the crossroads of space technology, climate intelligence, and public policy. By encouraging participants to develop practical, implementation-oriented solutions to real-world challenges, the Ideathon seeks to cultivate a new generation of innovators, policymakers, and problem-solvers equipped to leverage space technologies for societal impact.
The initiative is designed to produce not just winners, but a cohort of young professionals who are fluent in both satellite data and governance, ready to contribute to India's space, climate, and development priorities in the years ahead.
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