The DRUNIX Hackathon 2026, launched by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in collaboration with Citi, invites innovators to develop technology-driven solutions for the future of India's payments ecosystem.
Participants are encouraged to move beyond theoretical ideas and develop working prototypes that can address real-world challenges in the payments ecosystem.
The key focus areas are:
- Innovation – Create new approaches to payment-related challenges.
- Scale – Develop solutions that can potentially serve a large user base.
- Impact – Address practical problems and create meaningful value.
The hackathon is particularly relevant for students and innovators interested in:
- Fintech
- Digital Payments
- Software Development
- Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning
- APIs
- Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technology
- Tokenisation
- Entrepreneurship
- Product Development
NPCI × Citi
The DRUNIX Hackathon is organised by NPCI in collaboration with Citi.
NPCI is a key organisation in India's digital payments infrastructure, while Citi brings global experience in financial services and technology.
The collaboration aims to provide innovators with an opportunity to explore technology and develop solutions for the evolving payments ecosystem.
Build Using Payment Infrastructure
One of the key features of the hackathon is the opportunity for selected innovators to access NPCI APIs and infrastructure while developing their solutions.
This allows participants to move from an initial idea towards a functional prototype and demonstrate how their solution could work in a real-world environment.
From Idea to Prototype
Participants are encouraged to follow a journey from ideation to implementation.
A typical project could involve:
- Identifying a challenge in the payments ecosystem.
- Developing an innovative solution.
- Designing the technical architecture.
- Building a working prototype.
- Demonstrating the solution and its potential impact.
The focus is on creating solutions that combine technical innovation, scalability and practical application.
Important Dates
|
Event |
Date |
|
Application |
30 September 2026 |
|
Mode |
Online |
|
Registration Fee |
Free |
NPCI's announcement confirms that registrations are open till 30 September 2026.
How to Apply
Interested participants should complete their registration online before the deadline.
Application / Registration:
https://app.innovationcarnival.io/login
Last Date to Apply: 30 September 2026
For more information, participants should check the official registration platform and the latest announcements from NPCI.
