Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday launched the ‘Talent Hunt Scheme – Hauslon Ki Udaan 2026-27’, a Rs 10-crore initiative aimed at identifying, nurturing and promoting hidden talent among young people across the national capital.
Announcing the scheme at CM Jan Seva Sadan, Gupta described the initiative as “much more than just a competition” and said it would provide a major platform for Delhi’s youth to showcase their creativity, confidence and artistic abilities at the state and national levels. The official logo of the scheme was also unveiled during the event.
The programme, which will be implemented by the Department of Art, Culture and Languages, is open to youth aged between 16 and 35 years. Registrations have started free of cost through a dedicated portal [www.delhitalenthunt.com] from today, where participants can upload videos and apply in different categories. According to the government, more than 25,000 participants are expected to take part in the competition.
Speaking at the launch, Gupta said the government believes every young person possesses talent and only needs the right opportunity and platform to succeed. She said the initiative not only aims to discover talent but also encourage self-confidence, self-employment and self-reliance among youth from different social and economic backgrounds.
The Chief Minister said the scheme would cover all 70 Assembly constituencies in Delhi and would be conducted in a transparent and phased manner to ensure equal opportunity for participants. “‘Hauslon Ki Udaan’ is not merely a talent hunt programme but a platform that will help Delhi’s youth establish their identity before the country and the world,” she said.
Competitions will be organised in seven major categories – singing, dance, acting and theatre, instrumental music, music composition, fine and digital art and sculpture and pottery. Singing and dance categories will include classical, folk and contemporary forms.
The selection process will take place in four stages. The first phase will involve online registration, screening and shortlisting of applications. Around 24,500 participants are expected to move to the next round after the screening process.
In the second stage, 35 cluster-level competitions will be held across Delhi, with each cluster covering two Assembly constituencies. Nearly 2,450 participants will then advance to the zonal-level competitions in the third stage. The final phase will culminate in a state-level grand finale scheduled for August, featuring 28 finalists across categories.
The government said the evaluation process would include both public participation and expert assessment. Twenty-five per cent weightage will come from online public voting, while the remaining 75 per cent will be decided by a jury panel comprising experienced professionals from relevant fields.
Winners securing the first position will receive cash prizes of Rs 2.5 lakh, while second, third and fourth prize winners will get Rs 2 lakh, Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 1 lakh, respectively. Finalists and outstanding participants will also be awarded certificates, medals and shields.
The Chief Minister said the government plans to associate talented participants with future social campaigns as brand ambassadors to inspire positive social change.
Delhi Minister for Art, Culture and Languages Kapil Mishra, who was also present at the event, said the initiative would help position Delhi as the “Creative Capital” and “Youth Capital” of New India.
