The Military College of Telecommunication Engineering (MCTE), Mhow, has secured first position in the National 5G Innovation Hackathon organised by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India, in conjunction with the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026. The award, comprising a cash prize of ₹2.5 lakh and a Certificate of Merit, was presented by Union Minister for Communications Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia during a ceremony at IMC-2026.
Keywords: MCTE Mhow, National 5G Innovation Hackathon, PRISM-5G, Department of Telecommunications, India Mobile Congress 2026, Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Indian Army 5G/6G
The winning project, PRISM-5G, was developed by a team of students and instructors from MCTE’s 5G/6G Centre of Excellence. The team invested six months of sustained research and technical effort to create a solution that impressed evaluators in a highly competitive field. More than 1,000 teams from premier institutions including the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), National Institutes of Technology (NITs), as well as 5G start-ups and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), participated in the national challenge.
This success underscores MCTE’s growing contribution to indigenous 5G and emerging 6G technologies. The Centre of Excellence continues to drive research, experimentation and capability development with clear relevance to defence communications and military modernisation. The achievement aligns with the Indian Army’s broader push to adopt emerging technologies and build future-ready systems under the national vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
The recognition highlights the technical competence and collaborative spirit of the MCTE team. It also reflects the value of partnerships between defence training institutions, academia, industry and government in strengthening India’s telecommunications ecosystem. MCTE, presently commanded by Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi, has made steady progress across training, research and innovation domains under his leadership.
The victory at the National 5G Innovation Hackathon reinforces MCTE’s position as a key contributor to India’s next-generation communications capabilities and the Indian Army’s commitment to technological self-reliance.
contact: drrajeshjauhri@gmail.com
Dr Rajesh Jauhri is a Journalist with an experience of over 25 years in Indian and foreign media, a Social Scientist, an Ac-complished Author, a Political & Strategic Analyst, a Marksman (Rifle & Pistol), an Orator, a Thinker and an Educationist. He holds a Ph.D. degree on “Impact of colonial heritage on Indian police”. He runs an NGO dedicated to the social and eco-nomic uplift of tribal communities in MP and two decades back, he established a school in a village of Indore district, providing education and moral values to children belonging to underprivileged and minority families. Has received multiple awards in various fields.
