Robotics, coding and design contests
Children build, code or design something instead of answering questions.
IRC League
Classes 1 to 12In personKit to buy
Details
- Who runs it
- Avishkaar.
- What children do
- Build and code a robot for an arena task (2026 theme: MAYDAY; the youngest group does a tsunami rescue).
- Who can enter
- Teams of 1 to 4. Primary: Classes 1 and 2. Junior: 3 to 5. Middle: 6 to 8. Senior: 9 to 12.
- How it runs
- Zonal rounds in person in many cities, October to December 2026 (still to come: Hyderabad 14 Nov; Bengaluru, South Delhi and Chennai 21 Nov; West Delhi and Pune 5 Dec; Indore 15 Dec), then the finale in Delhi, 15 and 16 January 2027.
- Register
- Until 30 November 2026, or the day before your zonal.
- Fee
- Primary: ₹1,500 for the zonal and ₹2,400 for the finale. Other groups: ₹3,600 and ₹4,800. It is not stated whether this is per team or per child.
- Kit
- Only Avishkaar kits are allowed, so one must be bought.
- Awards
- A winner and two runners-up in each group; prizes worth ₹5 lakh in all.
Avishkaar Makeathon
Up to Class 12Online, then DelhiNo kit named
Details
- Who runs it
- Avishkaar.
- What children do
- Invent and build a working model on the MAYDAY theme (disaster, environment or health): an idea document and a video first, then a 2-day live show.
- Who can enter
- Teams of 1 to 4. Junior: up to Class 5. Middle: up to Class 8. Senior: up to Class 12.
- How it runs
- Round 1 online until 30 November 2026; the finale in Delhi in January 2027.
- Fee
- ₹500 for round 1 and ₹4,800 for the finale.
- Kit
- No kit is named for 2026.
- Awards
- A winner and two runners-up in each group.
FIRST LEGO League India
Ages 6 to 16In personKit to buy
Details
- Who runs it
- FIRST India.
- What children do
- A team builds and codes a LEGO robot and does an innovation project (2026-27 theme: BIOGLOW).
- Who can enter
- Explore: ages 6 to 10, up to 6 in a team. Future Edition: ages 8 to 16, up to 8 in a team.
- How it runs
- Regional events in person from 8 to 31 January 2027 (Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Pune, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Mumbai), then the national championship in Pune in February 2027.
- Fee
- Per team, with GST: ₹22,680 for Explore and ₹72,202 for Future Edition.
- Kit
- Not included: genuine LEGO Education sets must be bought.
- Note
- FIRST and LEGO say 2026-27 is the last FIRST LEGO League season.
World Robot Olympiad India
From age 8In personAny kit
Details
- Who runs it
- India STEM Foundation, with the National Council of Science Museums.
- What children do
- Teams of 2 or 3 with an adult coach build and code robots for set missions, or make an innovation project.
- Who can enter
- From age 8 (about Class 3): Elementary 8 to 12, Junior 11 to 15, Senior 14 to 19.
- How it runs
- Regional and national rounds in person, then the international final. The 2026 India season is over; the 2027 season is not announced yet.
- Fee
- ₹20,000 per team for most categories; one free Future Innovators team per school.
- Kit
- Any hardware and software.
Codeavour
Ages 7 to 18Rounds, then a finalFree software
Details
- Who runs it
- Future Skills Education Foundation, Ahmedabad.
- What children do
- AI, coding and robotics projects in PictoBlox (free software), in three tracks.
- Who can enter
- Alone or in a team of up to 3, with a mentor. Elementary: ages 7 to 10. Junior: 11 to 14. Senior: 15 to 18.
- How it runs
- Regional rounds (Indian dates not announced yet), then nationals, then an international final. Registration is open.
- Fee
- US$45 for regionals and nationals; US$100 for the international final.
- Kit
- PictoBlox on a computer or Android device; some tracks use robot hardware.
Design Championship
Ages 6 to 16OnlineFree
Details
- Who runs it
- Design Championship, with ICT360.
- What children do
- Digital projects on a set theme: app, game, graphic, 3D, coding, web, movie making or circuit simulation.
- Who can enter
- Alone or in a team of up to 5. Beginner: ages 6 and 7. Junior: 8 to 10. Middle: 11 to 13. Senior: 14 to 16.
- How it runs
- All online: send a project, then a jury interview if shortlisted, then the final. The 2026 round closed in September; the 2027 dates are not out.
- Fee
- Free.
- Kit
- None; any software.
Checked on each contest's own website, 4 Nov 2026. Rules and dates can change; their site is always final. Olympiad Owl is not linked to any of them.