What could you build if your app could work with live search data instead of relying only on static information?
The SerpApi India Hackathon 2026 is inviting developers, builders and AI enthusiasts across India to create an app, AI agent, open-source integration or other useful project powered by SerpApi.
The hackathon is free to enter, fully online and asynchronous, and offers ₹3 lakh+ in total prize value across cash prizes and SerpApi search credits.
You can participate alone or with a team of up to five people.
Quick Facts
- Opportunity Type: Hackathon / Competition
- Host Organization: SerpApi
- Location: India
- Mode: Fully online and asynchronous
- Duration: September 1 – October 10, 2026
- Age: 18+
- Nationality: Open to people residing in India
- Minimum Degree Required: No specific degree required
- Work Experience: Not required
- Team Size: 1–5 people
- Start Date: September 1, 2026
- Application Deadline: October 10, 2026 at 11:59 PM IST
- Application Fee: None
- Participation Fee: None
- Prize Pool: ₹3 lakh+ in total prize value
- First Prize: ₹1,00,000 + 15,000 credits
- Second Prize: ₹40,000 + 10,000 credits
- Third Prize: ₹20,000 + 10,000 credits
- Financial Support: Cash prizes and search credits
What Is the SerpApi India Hackathon?
The SerpApi India Hackathon is a 40-day online hackathon focused on building useful technology with live search data from SerpApi.
Participants can build using any programming language or framework.
You can create something completely new for the hackathon, or use an existing project, provided the submitted version makes meaningful use of SerpApi. Simply adding an API call that has little connection to the project’s functionality is not enough.
The event is asynchronous, meaning you can work on your project from anywhere in India and manage your own schedule.
Who Can Participate?
The hackathon is open to:
- People aged 18 or above
- People who reside in India
- Individual participants
- Teams of up to five people
There is no specific educational qualification or work-experience requirement.
You can participate with your existing technical skills, whether you are a developer, AI builder, student, founder or independent creator.
What Can You Build?
There are six tracks to choose from.
1. AI Agents
Build AI agents that can search, research, compare information and take actions using current data.
Possible areas include:
- Research assistants
- RAG systems
- Multi-agent applications
- AI automation
2. Open-Source Integrations
Build a useful SerpApi integration for an open-source framework, developer tool, agent framework or MCP client.
3. Travel & Local Discovery
Build products that help people discover and compare things such as:
- Flights
- Hotels
- Restaurants
- Local attractions
- Events
- Travel options
4. Commerce & Market Intelligence
Use live search data to build tools for:
- Price tracking
- Product research
- Market intelligence
- Seller comparison
- Commerce analytics
5. Knowledge & Public Interest
Build something that helps people access, discover or understand useful information.
For example, SerpApi suggests projects around job discovery and public-interest information.
6. Open Innovation
Have another idea?
The Open Innovation track allows participants to build projects that don’t naturally fit into the other categories.
The official hackathon site gives examples such as local-event discovery tools and projects combining search with Maps data.
What Can You Win?
The hackathon has ₹3 lakh+ in total prize value, combining cash awards and SerpApi search credits.
First Place
₹1,00,000 + 15,000 credits
Second Place
₹40,000 + 10,000 credits
Third Place
₹20,000 + 10,000 credits
Best in Track
Each of the six tracks has a:
10,000 credit prize
Best From Partner Communities
Selected partner-community winners can receive:
₹10,000 + 5,000 SerpApi credits
Every Valid Submission
Every submission that meets the validity requirements receives:
1,000 SerpApi credits
The credits are usage credits, not cash, and cannot simply be converted into money.
Is There an Application Fee?
No.
The hackathon is free to enter.
SerpApi also provides a free account with 250 search credits per month for building and testing your project.
There is therefore no mandatory payment required simply to participate.
Are There Any Hidden Charges?
There is no entry or participation fee disclosed by SerpApi.
However, participants should understand a few practical points:
- Cash prizes may be subject to applicable taxes or withholding.
- SerpApi credits have no cash value.
- You are responsible for any costs associated with developing your own project outside the provided SerpApi credits.
- Any third-party services, infrastructure or tools you independently choose to use may have their own costs.
- You should never expose API keys, passwords or other secrets in your public GitHub repository or demo.
Can You Use AI?
Yes.
AI-assisted development is explicitly allowed.
Participants can use coding assistants, generative AI models, agents and other AI tools while developing their projects.
You must disclose the AI tools you used in the submission.
Importantly, using AI does not negatively affect judging.
What Do You Need to Submit?
Your project submission needs several components.
Public GitHub Repository
Your repository should contain:
- Project code
- Documentation
- Setup instructions
- Sufficient information for judges to understand and run the project
Project Description
Explain:
- What your project does
- Who it is for
- Why it is useful
- Which hackathon track it belongs to
SerpApi Usage Explanation
You must explain which SerpApi products, APIs, search engines, SDKs, MCP features or tools you are using and why SerpApi is important to your project’s functionality.
Demo Video
You need a publicly accessible screen recording showing the project working.
The video must be:
Under 3 minutes.
It does not need professional editing, and narration is optional.
How Will Projects Be Judged?
SerpApi says projects will be evaluated based on:
- Idea strength
- Originality
- Technical complexity
- Usefulness
- Meaningful SerpApi usage
There are no fixed percentage weights assigned to these criteria.
This means simply building something technically complicated isn’t enough. Your project should solve a clear problem and demonstrate why SerpApi is genuinely important to the solution.
Can You Submit an Existing Project?
Yes.
You don’t necessarily have to start from scratch.
Existing projects are allowed as long as the submitted version demonstrates meaningful SerpApi usage and you disclose that the project existed before the hackathon.
This could make the hackathon particularly interesting for founders and developers who already have an MVP and want to add a strong search-powered feature.
Can You Participate Alone?
Yes.
You can enter as an individual or create a team of up to five people.
Every team member must meet the eligibility requirements and must have contributed to the project.
Application Deadline
The final submission deadline is:
October 10, 2026 at 11:59 PM IST
Your project, GitHub repository and demo video need to be ready before the deadline.
A saved draft does not count as a submission. You must actually submit the completed project through the hackathon website before the deadline.
How to Apply
The process is straightforward:
Step 1: Choose Your Idea
Select one of the six tracks and decide what you want to build.
Step 2: Build With SerpApi
Create a free SerpApi account and integrate its search capabilities into your project.
The SerpApi component should play a meaningful role in what your project actually does.
Step 3: Publish Your Code
Create a public GitHub repository containing your project and setup instructions.
Step 4: Record Your Demo
Create a screen recording of your project running.
Keep the video under three minutes.
Step 5: Submit
Sign in to the hackathon website using GitHub and submit:
- Project details
- Track
- GitHub repository
- SerpApi usage explanation
- Demo video
- Participant/team information
- AI tools disclosure, if applicable
Make sure all links are accessible without requiring judges to request permission.
Important Intellectual Property Note
Participants retain ownership of their original project materials.
However, the hackathon terms give SerpApi a licence to access, reproduce, run, test, evaluate, display and use submitted materials for hackathon administration, judging and related promotion.
Because submissions and GitHub repositories need to be publicly accessible, do not include trade secrets, private information, passwords or API keys in your submission.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the SerpApi India Hackathon free?
Yes. There is no entry or participation fee.
Who can participate?
People aged 18 or older who reside in India can participate.
Do I need a computer science degree?
No specific degree is required.
Can I participate alone?
Yes. Solo participation is allowed.
What is the maximum team size?
Five people.
Can I use ChatGPT or other AI tools?
Yes. AI tools are allowed, but you must disclose which tools you used.
Do I need to build a completely new project?
No. Existing projects are allowed if the submitted version makes meaningful use of SerpApi and the prior existence of the project is disclosed.
Is SerpApi required?
Yes. SerpApi must make a meaningful contribution to the project’s functionality.
What is the first prize?
₹1,00,000 plus 15,000 SerpApi credits.
Does everyone who submits get a prize?
Every valid submission receives 1,000 SerpApi credits, but cash prizes and competitive awards are limited to selected winners.
When is the deadline?
October 10, 2026 at 11:59 PM IST.
Final Takeaway
The SerpApi India Hackathon is more than a coding competition.
It gives developers and builders an opportunity to experiment with live search data, build something useful and potentially win cash and SerpApi credits, without paying an entry fee.
And because existing projects are allowed, you don’t necessarily need to start with a blank screen.
If you have an idea where real-time web search could make an AI agent, product or tool significantly more useful, this could be worth exploring.
Deadline: October 10, 2026.
What could you build if your product could search the live web instead of relying only on yesterday’s information?
Keep looking. Your opportunity is out there.
