₹2.50 lakh prize as SIAM opens road accident reduction challenge for college students in 2026

The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), on Tuesday, launched the National Road Accident Reduction Challenge 2026 to encourage undergraduate students to develop field-ready solutions to reduce road accidents in India.The nationwide competition is being conducted under SIAM’s flagship “Safe Journey” initiative and is open to undergraduate students from all recognised institutions across the country. The winning team will receive a cash prize of ₹2.50 lakh and will be felicitated at SIAM’s SAFE Annual Convention 2026.
Prashant K Banerjee, Executive Director, SIAM, said, “In India, around 485 people lose their life daily due to road accidents. India’s young minds have the power to drive real change on our roads.”
“The National Road Accident Reduction Challenge 2026 is designed to channel their creativity, problem-solving skills, and sense of responsibility into practical interventions that can be implemented on the ground,” he added.On Suzuki Motorcycle India’s association with the programme, Devashish Handa, Executive Officer, Suzuki Motorcycle India, said, “Road safety is a key focus area of Suzuki Motorcycle India’s CSR efforts. We believe that student-led innovation can contribute meaningfully to safer mobility in India.”

Teams of two to four undergraduate students can participate with faculty or institutional endorsement. The competition invites ready-to-implement or field-tested ideas across themes, including user-centric interventions, technology-driven safety, infrastructure improvement, and evaluation and enforcement.

Participants must submit a 15–20 slide concept deck supported by fieldwork, data validation, prototypes, pilots, or interviews. An optional two-minute video or demo may also be submitted. The nomination deadline is January 15, 2026, while the final project submission date is March 1, 2026.

Shortlisted teams will present their proposals to a national jury comprising representatives from SIAM, vehicle manufacturers, transport authorities, non-governmental organisations, and the media.