New Innovation Challenge Invites Students to Solve Power Grid Problems

IIT Bombay and Russia's Rosatom State Corporation have launched Atomic Hack India 2026. This national innovation challenge invites undergraduate and postgraduate engineering students to develop solutions for power grid challenges that involve nuclear and renewable energy sources. Registration is open until October 20, 2026.

Challenge Details

The hackathon focuses on designing a Zero-Sequence Directional Overcurrent Protection scheme for a 220 kV transmission line. This line integrates nuclear and renewable energy sources. Participants must develop a protection system that can detect and identify electrical faults in the transmission line to support safe grid operations. Participants will use REPEAT VISION, a software platform developed by ETC GET, a subsidiary of Rosatom. The platform is used for one-dimensional modelling and digital twin creation. Competitors receive free software access, training webinars, and mentorship from Rosatom engineers and IIT Bombay professors. Prior experience with the platform is not required.

Competition Stages

The competition takes place in two stages. The online qualification round runs from October 20 to 28, 2026. Up to 25 shortlisted teams will join a 48-hour grand finale at the IIT Bombay campus in Mumbai from December 4 to 6. Winning teams receive a sponsored research visit to Moscow to see Rosatom's engineering centres, internship opportunities at ETC GET, and certificates. JSC ETC GET, the Rosatom Corporate Academy, and IIT Bombay's Research Hub for Green Energy and Sustainability are organizing the challenge.

Context

India plans to expand its nuclear power capacity with a stated target of 100 GW by 2047. Combining nuclear power with renewable energy raises technical requirements for grid stability and protection. This makes transmission systems and fault detection important areas for current engineering research.