Mumbai, Dec 24: Reinforcing its commitment to promote road safety among young citizens, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), under its flagship “सुरक्षित सफर (Safe Journey)” initiative, has launched the National Road Accident Reduction Challenge 2026, a unique nationwide competition designed to promote road safety and encourage innovative thinking and solution finding on the subject. The challenge invites undergraduate college students to develop practical, field-ready solutions aimed at improving road safety in India.

Recognising college students as powerful ambassadors of change, this initiative by SIAM seeks to harness their creativity, leadership, and design thinking to address real-world road safety challenges. This challenge aims to ignite youth leadership, foster accountability, and encourage solution-oriented innovation, aligned with the national priority of reducing road accidents and fatalities.

Commenting on the initiative, Mr. Prashant K Banerjee, Executive Director, SIAM, said, “In India, around 485 people lose their life daily due to road accidents. India’s young minds have the power to drive real change on our roads. The National Road Accident Reduction Challenge 2026 is designed to channel their creativity, problem-solving skills, and sense of responsibility into practical interventions that can be implemented on the ground. By engaging students as partners in road safety, SIAM aims to foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and safer mobility for the nation.”

Also, commenting on Suzuki Motorcycle India’s association with the initiative, Mr. Devashish Handa, Executive Officer, SMIPL said, “Road safety is a key focus area of Suzuki Motorcycle India’s CSR efforts. We believe that student-led innovation can contribute meaningfully to safer mobility in India. Through SIAM’s National Road Accident Reduction Challenge 2026, we aim to strengthen road safety ethics among the young generation and encourage practical, on-ground interventions to help bring down road fatalities.”

The competition is open to undergraduate students from all recognized institutions across India, with teams of 2 to 4 students, supported by faculty or institutional endorsement. The competition invites ready-to-implement or field-tested ideas across themes such as user-centric interventions, technology-driven safety, infrastructure improvement, and evaluation and enforcement. Participants are required to submit a 15–20 slide concept deck, supported by fieldwork, data validation, prototypes, pilots, or interviews. An optional two-minute video or demo may also be submitted. The nomination deadline is 15 January 2026, and the final project submission date is 1 March 2026. 

Shortlisted teams will present their solutions to a national jury comprising representatives from SIAM, OEMs, transport authorities, NGOs, and media. The winning team will receive a cash prize of Rs.2.50 lakh and will be felicitated at SIAM’s SAFE Annual Convention 2026.

In alignment with its vision of Building the Nation Responsibly, SIAM and its members continue to work closely with governments, corporations, and key stakeholders to drive safer and greener mobility across the country.