What will the future of payments in India look like?
The DRUNIX Hackathon 2026, a fintech innovation initiative launched by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in collaboration with Citi, is inviting innovators to imagine, build and prototype solutions that could transform India's payments ecosystem.
Launched at the Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2026, the hackathon brings together technology enthusiasts, developers, entrepreneurs and innovators to explore new possibilities in digital payments.
The central idea is clear:
Innovation × Scale × Impact
Participants are encouraged to go beyond ideas and turn their concepts into working fintech prototypes that can address real-world challenges and create meaningful impact.
๐ What is the DRUNIX Hackathon?
The DRUNIX Hackathon is an opportunity for innovators to collaborate, ideate and develop technology-driven solutions for the rapidly evolving fintech and payments ecosystem.
Participants will have the opportunity to explore new approaches to payment technologies and build solutions designed with three important principles in mind:
- Innovation – Develop new and creative approaches to payment challenges.
- Scale – Think about solutions that can work for millions of users.
- Impact – Address real-world problems and create meaningful value.
The hackathon is particularly relevant for those interested in fintech, digital payments, software development, APIs, artificial intelligence, financial technology and entrepreneurship.
๐ฆ NPCI × Citi: A Powerful Collaboration
The hackathon is organised by two major names in the financial and technology ecosystem:
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) × Citi
NPCI plays a central role in India's digital payments infrastructure, while Citi brings extensive global experience in financial services and technology.
Together, the organisations aim to encourage innovators to explore new ideas and technologies that could contribute to the next generation of payment solutions.
๐ก Build With Real Payment Infrastructure
One of the exciting aspects of the DRUNIX Hackathon is the opportunity for selected innovators to access NPCI APIs and infrastructure for developing their solutions.
Instead of simply preparing a theoretical concept, participants can potentially use these resources to prototype and demonstrate how their solutions could work in practice.
This provides an excellent opportunity for developers and technology students to gain hands-on experience in building solutions around real-world fintech infrastructure.
๐ค From Idea to Working Prototype
The hackathon encourages participants to follow a journey from ideation to implementation.
A successful team could begin by identifying a problem in the payments ecosystem, develop an innovative approach, design the technical architecture and then build a functional prototype.
The focus is therefore not just on having a great idea.
The goal is to build something that works—and can make a difference.
Participants are expected to collaborate, experiment with technology and develop solutions that demonstrate both technical potential and real-world usefulness.
๐ Who Can Participate?
The hackathon is open to innovators interested in technology-driven solutions for the fintech and payments ecosystem.
It can be an excellent opportunity for:
- Software developers
- Engineering and technology students
- Fintech enthusiasts
- AI/ML innovators
- Entrepreneurs and startup teams
- Product builders
- UI/UX and technology innovators
- Anyone interested in the future of digital payments
Participants should be prepared to ideate, collaborate and develop a working prototype using the resources and infrastructure made available during the hackathon.
IMPORTANT DATES
