FOSS4Gov Innovation Challenge

About FOSS4Gov Innovation Challenge

The Digital India Programme, launched by the Government in 2015, has ensured digital access, digital infrastructure, digital empowerment and bridging of digital divide with the common thread of digital inclusion. The programme aims at transforming India into a knowledge-based economy and digitally empowered society based on technology. India’s Digital footprint is one of the fastest growing in the world.

This pace was further accelerated due to the current Covid-19 pandemic. Citizens have moved towards Digital services in almost every sector, rather than traditional method of availing services. Free and open-source software (FOSS) has enabled this seamless transition towards Digital economy. With more than 85% of India’s Internet running on FOSS and a large 4G mobile base of India which recently crossed more than 598.11 million of which 96% of them access the digital world via open-source based mobile operating systems (primarily Android), it would not be wrong to say that FOSS has come up as a flag bearer of e-governance system under Digital India Mission.

Some of India’s largest-government projects (including Aadhaar, GSTN and DigiLocker) and many technology start-ups are built using FOSS. Acknowledging the huge potential of FOSS, the Government of India had issued Policy on Adoption of Open Source Software for Government of India in 2015 to drive uptake within the government. With the vision to transform India as a Software Product Nation, National Policy on Software Products-2019 was approved by the Government. This policy was crucial for development, production and supply of innovative and efficient Software Products, and facilitating the growth across the entire spectrum of ICT sector.

To realize the vision of Software Product Nation and aspiration to be global hub for FOSS, a collaborative effort is needed from various stakeholders like individual volunteers and consultants, schools, higher educational and research institutes, online educators, micro small and medium tech enterprises, global tech firms, local and state governments, national governments, FOSS groups, funders and investors with primary focus on domestic innovation. This perspective was endorsed at the recent virtual roundtable discussion ‘Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) in Government’ that was organized by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) in collaboration with Omidyar Network India on April 22, 2021

Eligibility

The Challenge is open for all Indian entrepreneurs and FOSS enthusiasts including startups, students, academia, coders, IT professionals, engineers, UI/UX professionals, etc.

All applicants should:

* Be Indian citizens and currently residing in India OR startups/Companies registered in India wherein majority stakeholders are Indians; and

* Register either as individuals with atmost 2 supporting team members, with the team leader registering on behalf of the team.

Launch of Innovation Challenge : 26th July 2021

Last Date for Registration (Team formation) : 1st September 2021

For more details refer the Official Website

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