Indian National AI Olympiad (INAIO) 2026: A Gateway to Global AI Excellence
As we all know, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is shaping the future of technology, and India is taking a bold step to prepare the next generation for this transformation. The Indian National AI Olympiad (INAIO) 2026, organized by ACM India in collaboration with ACM IKDD, is India’s official pathway to the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI). This initiative is designed to identify and nurture exceptional AI talent among school students and equip them with the skills needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital world.
India’s Historic Debut at IOAI 2025
It is with immense pride that we share India’s exceptional debut at the 2nd International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI 2025), held from August 2–9, 2025 in Beijing, China. This event, which was the largest high-school AI competition in the world, featured 310 students from 63 countries.
Representing India for the first time, our students achieved:
3 Gold: Arjun Tyagi, Roumak Das, Soham Sen
2 Silver: Rayan Banerjee, Samik Goyal
1 Bronze: Himaneesh Sompalle
Honourable Mention: Ishaan Gangwani
India proudly secured 3rd place on the medal leaderboard and 6th in average task score. This remarkable achievement has set the stage for an even bigger journey ahead.
The Next Chapter: IOAI 2026 in Abu Dhabi
The excitement continues! The 3rd edition of the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI 2026) will be held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, from 2nd until 8th of August, 2026. IOAI 2026 is being organized by the prestigious Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI).
And here’s the best part: INAIO 2026 is your gateway to IOAI 2026. If you dream of representing India on the global AI stage, this is where your journey begins.
What Makes INAIO 2026 Special?
INAIO is a structured, multi-stage program that strengthens both machine learning theoretical foundations and practical modeling skills. Students will explore core AI concepts, apply them to real-world problems, and gain exposure to global standards in AI education.
By participating, students open doors to international recognition, scholarships, and higher education opportunities. Certified Olympiads like IMO and IOI have historically paved the way for direct admissions to top colleges, and IOAI could be the next big milestone for AI aspirants.
META-i and HireMee: Powering the Olympiad Experience
The success of INAIO 2026 is built on strong partnerships. META-i will handle registrations and question creation, ensuring that the competition reflects the highest academic and technical standards. Meanwhile, HireMee brings its cutting-edge AI-Proctored Assessment platform, guaranteeing a secure, seamless, and transparent testing experience.
HireMee’s platform will not only conduct the assessments but also manage result generation, making the entire process efficient and trustworthy. This collaboration ensures that every participant experiences a world-class evaluation environment.
Eligibility and Key Dates
Who can Participate?
All Indian citizens studying in Grades 9 to 12, from any school board, born after August 5, 2006.
Stage 1 Registration:
Started from November 21, 2025, and will close by December 31, 2025
Stage 1 Test Date:
18 January 2026 (Online)
Special Perks for Participants
• Exciting prizes for top rankers of INAIO 2026
• Digital certificate for all participants
• Complimentary Career Navigation Assessment by HireMee (worth ₹1599) for the top 500 applicants in Stage 1
What to Expect in the Exam
The Olympiad is designed to test both foundational knowledge and applied reasoning skills in Artificial Intelligence.
Stage 1 focuses on:
• Foundational Topics: Computational and logical thinking, pattern recognition, basic programming constructs, algebra fundamentals, probability and statistics, linear algebra, optimization, and data representation.
• ML Theoretical Foundations: Understanding the concept of an ML model, train-test process, loss functions, and basic evaluation metrics for regression and classification.
• Algorithms (Conceptual): Reasoning about supervised and unsupervised learning methods like Linear Regression, K-NN, Decision Trees, K-Means, PCA, Naive Bayes, and famous algorithms such as PageRank and TF-IDF.
Early stages emphasize core fundamentals and reasoning ability, while later stages demand deeper mastery of advanced AI techniques, including Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Reinforcement Learning, NLP, and Computer Vision.
Why Should You Participate?
Joining INAIO is about exploring cutting-edge technology, connecting with like-minded peers worldwide, and showcasing your talent on a global stage. For top performers, this journey doesn’t end here as the best students will qualify for IOAI 2026 in Abu Dhabi, representing India among the brightest minds across the globe.
The future belongs to those who innovate. If you’re passionate about AI and ready to challenge yourself, INAIO 2026 is your gateway to success.
Register today at https://www.inaio.in/registration
Explore additional information at https://www.inaio.in/
