GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday, September 25, launched the North-East Seva First Innovation Challenge (NESFIC) 2026, an initiative aimed at bringing young innovators and startups together with the government and industry to develop solutions to real-world problems.
ALSO READ: UPI Payments Above ₹2,000 Won’t Cost Customers Extra, Says Nirmala Sitharaman
The initiative will feature 50 challenges, including 40 identified by Assam government departments and 10 from industry. The challenges cover areas such as maternal and newborn health, flood preparedness, agriculture and water, Assam tea and urban infrastructure.
Speaking about the initiative, Sarma said the objective is to bring young innovators to the same platform as the government, allowing them to work on existing problems while giving the state an opportunity to adopt solutions that can benefit people.
A key focus of NESFIC 2026 is to address the difficulties startups often face when trying to sell their solutions to government departments.
According to the framework outlined for the programme, departmental challenges will use the Swiss Challenge method with a Right of First Refusal. Under this process, a startup with a working solution can submit it to the concerned department, after which counteroffers may be invited. The original innovator will have the right to match the best offer and secure the contract.
For industry-led challenges, startups and participating partners can explore arrangements including purchase orders, paid pilots, supply agreements and licences.
The initiative is intended to create a pathway for startups to move from developing solutions to actually deploying them in government and industry settings.
The programme will follow a phased timeline.
In November 2026, 150 startups are expected to be selected at the Northeast Innovation Conclave in Guwahati, with three startups shortlisted for each of the 50 challenges. Selected participants will receive idea-stage support under the Assam Startup Policy, along with access to data, testing sites and mentoring.
In February 2027, a Demo Day will be held, where the best solution for each challenge will receive an MVP grant of up to ₹20 lakh.
Deployment of selected solutions through departmental procurement and industry purchases is scheduled to begin from June 2027 onwards.
The NESFIC 2026 platform has opened applications for innovators, startups, researchers, professionals and student teams to take up challenges identified from Assam and the wider Northeast.
