6th NHAI Innovation Hackathon — Retroreflectivity Solutions

The 6th NHAI Innovation Hackathon is a public-facing technology challenge run by the National Highways Authority of India under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The 2026 edition invites innovative, technology-driven solutions for measuring retroreflectivity of traffic signs, pavement markings, road studs, and delineators on India's national highway network.

NHAI's current measurement workflow uses handheld devices that conform to IRC 67 and IRC 35 standards. The process is slow and unsafe — operators must work close to high-speed expressway traffic. The hackathon invites participants to design vehicle-mounted or drone-based equipment, AI/ML-driven analysis of camera-collected reflectivity data, or hybrid systems that combine both. Solutions must operate across day/night, dry/wet, with/without street lighting, and foggy weather conditions.

Top three winners receive cash prizes of ₹2,00,000, ₹1,00,000, and ₹50,000 respectively — a total prize pool of ₹3,50,000. There is no equity taken; this is a non-dilutive prize-based contest. Submissions can take the form of a system overview, concept note, mobile application, or working prototype.

The challenge is open to students, startups, individual innovators, tech enthusiasts, and existing equipment manufacturers. Beyond the prize money, the contest is a direct line into NHAI's procurement and innovation roadmap, with a clear deployment pathway across India's 8/6/4-lane highway network.

Evaluation is done by an NHAI expert panel on Innovation Level (30), Feasibility (30), Scalability & Sustainability (20), and Presentation & Documentation (20).