Innovate For US–India · SIC 2026

I4UI — the flagship ideathon.

Got an idea that could reshape the world's most consequential partnership?

I4UI is the Stanford India Conference's flagship ideathon, where students, industry leaders, policymakers, and academics come together to tackle the defining challenges of the US–India corridor — from medical technology and climate resilience to AI and education. Selected teams will refine and pitch their ideas to a panel of experts at the Conference.

May 9, 2026  ·  1:00 PM – 5:00 PM  ·  Mackenzie Room, Jen-Hsun Huang Engineering Center, 475 Via Ortega, 3rd Floor, Stanford, CA

Two Tracks

Policy or product.

Choose the track that matches your team's strengths — a rigorous policy proposal or a working prototype solving a real-world problem.

Track 01 · Policy

Policy Brief

Develop a concise, implementation-focused policy proposal addressing a specific challenge in the India–US corridor. Teams should produce a focused brief that could be acted on by regulators, agencies, or multilateral institutions.

Track 02 · Product

Product Build

Build a working prototype or technical solution addressing a real-world bilateral challenge. Teams should demonstrate a functional MVP along with a clear articulation of the problem, users, and path to scale.

Problem Spaces

The defining challenges of the India–US corridor.

Focus your submission on one of these four thematic areas. Teams may propose related sub-challenges within these domains.

01Climate resilience & sustainable infrastructure
02Healthcare innovation & medical AI
03AI & digital public infrastructure
04Education technology
Structure

Two days. Two stages.

Day One · May 9

Mentored Working Session.

1:00 PM – 5:00 PM · Mackenzie Room, Jen-Hsun Huang Engineering Center, 475 Via Ortega, 3rd Floor
  • Closed-door, intensive session at Stanford
  • Direct feedback from conference speakers, domain experts, and practitioners
  • Teams refine problem framing, feasibility, and implementation pathways
Day Two · May 10

Final Presentations.

Main Stage · Hoover Institution
  • Live pitches at the Stanford India Conference
  • Evaluated by a distinguished jury across policy, academia, and industry
  • Prizes, partnerships, and pathways forward for winning teams
The Jury

Evaluated by the best in the field.

Your work will be reviewed by a distinguished panel drawn from the Stanford India Conference speakers — senior leaders across policy, academia, venture capital, and industry. Expect rigorous feedback and real conversations about what it takes to move an idea forward.

Meet the Speakers

Think you can reshape the US–India partnership?

Applications are open to students, early-career researchers, and founders. Bring a team, bring an idea, and come build.

Apply Now