The Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue (VBYLD) 2027 has commenced with the launch of the Viksit Bharat Quiz, opening a nationwide platform for young Indians to participate in a merit-based leadership and nation-building programme that will culminate in an opportunity for selected youth to present their ideas before Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The initiative is aligned with the Prime Minister’s vision of creating one lakh young leaders from non-political backgrounds and providing talented youth without a family background in politics an opportunity to contribute to public life and the nation’s development.
The Viksit Bharat Quiz, which forms the first stage of the flagship Viksit Bharat Challenge Track, is being conducted through the MY Bharat portal from August 17 to September 30, 2026. Young Indians aged 15 to 29 years can participate in the digital quiz, which is being conducted in multiple languages.
The top 10 per cent of quiz participants, subject to a maximum of four lakh candidates, will qualify for the next stage, the Viksit Bharat Essay Challenge. Shortlisted participants will have to submit a 500-word essay on a designated Viksit Bharat theme through the MY Bharat portal.
Five-stage selection process
The Viksit Bharat Challenge will follow a five-stage pathway – Viksit Bharat Quiz, Essay Challenge, District Championship, State/UT VBYLD and National VBYLD.
At the district level, the top 50 essays from each district will be shortlisted for an in-person presentation. The top two presenters from each district will advance to the State VBYLD.
District Championships are scheduled to take place from November 10 to 16, 2026, while the State/UT VBYLD will be held from November 17 to December 7, 2026.
At the State/UT level, district-level selections will compete before a jury, with the final teams for the national round being selected on the basis of their performance.
Six tracks for youth participation
VBYLD 2027 will offer six tracks to showcase youth talent, leadership and innovation.
The Viksit Bharat Challenge will enable participants to develop and present ideas and solutions for Viksit Bharat@2047. The Cultural Track will feature competitions in folk dance, folk song, painting, declamation and poetry writing.
The Design for Bharat track will focus on user-centric solutions to real-world development challenges, while Hack for Social Cause will invite technology-driven solutions to social and developmental issues.
A new Youth Entrepreneurs Challenge will allow young entrepreneurs to present startup pitches and business plans aligned with national development priorities. The Youth Parliament will also be integrated into VBYLD 2027, with its national finalists participating in the National VBYLD.
Region-specific development themes
The Viksit Bharat Challenge will adopt a 10-region framework with themes reflecting diverse developmental priorities across the country.
The themes will cover areas such as future governance, climate security, demographic dividend, sustainable industrialisation, connectivity, manufacturing, tribal leadership, innovation, frontier technology and the blue economy.
The framework is intended to encourage youth from different regions to identify local challenges, develop innovative solutions and contribute ideas to India’s development journey towards 2047.
National event in January
The National Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue will be held in New Delhi from January 10 to 12, 2027.
Selected State and Union Territory contingents across the six tracks will participate in the national event. Under the Viksit Bharat Challenge, regional teams will present their ideas before domain experts, government secretaries and Union Ministers, with regional finalists getting an opportunity to present their ideas before the Prime Minister.
The initiative aims to create a grassroots-to-national pathway for youth leadership, beginning with the Viksit Bharat Quiz and progressing through essay writing, district and State/UT-level competitions before culminating in a national platform for young leaders to engage with policymakers and contribute ideas for India’s future.
Key dates:
Viksit Bharat Quiz: August 17–September 30, 2026
Viksit Bharat Essay Challenge: October 5–19, 2026
District Championships: November 10–16, 2026
State/UT VBYLD: November 17–December 7, 2026
National VBYLD, New Delhi: January 10–12, 2027
