Build with AI: Code for Communities — Google Cloud's National AI Hackathon Where MPs Set the Problems

Build with AI: Code for Communities is a national AI hackathon by Google Cloud that connects developers, designers and AI builders directly with sitting Members of Parliament to solve real, on-the-ground governance problems. Every problem statement was submitted by an MP's office describing a gap they are actively trying to close for their constituents — and the best solutions are lined up not just for a prize pool but for real pilot deployment. Registration is free and open now on the official event page.

What the hackathon is about

The premise is unusually concrete for a hackathon: rather than open-ended themes, each problem statement comes from a Member of Parliament's office, grounded in a gap they are trying to close right now — in frontline systems that often still run on paper registers and phone calls. Shortlisted solutions are evaluated for a pilot in a constituency, a primary or community health centre (PHC/CHC), a district or a panchayat, in partnership with the sponsoring MP's office, with a pathway to wider rollout if the pilot shows measurable impact. Top teams travel to an in-person Demo Day in New Delhi to present before the MPs and industry experts.

The four challenge tracks

Track	Focus
Track 1 — People's Priorities	AI for constituency development planning: consolidate citizen suggestions (voice, text, photos, messaging apps) and rank competing development proposals against real demand and public data.
Track 2 — CleanAir & Clear Streets	Environment and urban liveability: air-quality monitoring and cleaner, better-managed public spaces.
Track 3 — Smart Health	Strengthening frontline healthcare delivery and access.
Track 4 — Kisan Alert	Agriculture: timely, localised advisories for farmers.

Across tracks, solutions are expected to be multilingual and to work in low-connectivity, low-literacy settings (for example via WhatsApp Business API or SMS), drawing on public datasets such as data.gov.in, Census/NFHS, CPCB air-quality data and IMD weather data.

Who can participate

The hackathon is open to students, early-career and experienced developers, AI/ML practitioners, designers, product people, civic-tech enthusiasts and public-policy students. You can enter individually or as a team of up to four. No prior hackathon experience is required — the organisers say they are looking for builders who understand AI, data and good product thinking. Participation is completely free. Note that eligibility is limited to participants based in India; applicants outside India are not eligible at this time.

Prizes and what's beyond the cash

• National prize pool of ₹10,00,000 — for the top three solutions per challenge: 1st ₹1,00,000 · 2nd ₹75,000 · 3rd ₹50,000.
• Pilot deployment for top solutions per track, in partnership with the sponsoring MP's office, with a pathway to wider rollout based on pilot performance.
• Google Cloud credits for every shortlisted team, to build and scale without infrastructure costs.
• Certificates of recognition for all finalists.

What to build and how you're judged

Teams build a working prototype and submit a package describing it. Judging weights real-world readiness heavily:

1. AI / technical execution — 25%. Is the AI doing real work (not decorative), and does the prototype function end to end?
2. Deployability & scalability — 25%. Could this realistically run in a real PHC, constituency or district within weeks, and scale beyond one pilot site?
3. Problem–solution fit — 20%. Does it directly address the stated problem, at the right scope?
4. Inclusivity & accessibility — 15%. Multilingual support, voice / low-literacy access, low-connectivity design.
5. Impact potential — 10%. How many citizens benefit, and how meaningfully?
6. Presentation & clarity — 5%. Can a non-technical MP's office grasp the value in five minutes?

Timeline

Milestone	Date (2026)
Registrations open	22 June
Problem-statement briefing / AMA	26 June
Registrations close & submission deadline	8 July
Shortlisting & mentor review	8–13 July
Virtual pitching round	15 July
Final pitch / Demo Day — New Delhi	23 July

How to register

Registration is free and open on the official Build with AI: Code for Communities page. Pick a track, build a working prototype with your team of up to four, and submit before the 8 July deadline. Questions go to the organisers at [email protected]. Because event pages are updated over time, confirm the current dates and rules on the official page before you apply.

Sources

• Build with AI: Code for Communities — official event page
• Google Cloud
• data.gov.in — Open Government Data Platform India