Smart India Hackathon
India's national hackathon, run by the Ministry of Education's Innovation Cell and AICTE, where student teams solve problem statements set by ministries, government departments and industry. Colleges hold internal hackathons to nominate teams, and shortlisted teams build their solution at a 36-hour grand finale in December. It is open to students of Indian higher education institutions.
Programme
Career Growth
Ministry of Education Innovation Cell and AICTE
Several months, 36-hour finale
Intermediate
Free
Hackathon
- When
- Usually opens in August and SeptemberProblem statements and registration usually open in August to September, internal hackathons follow, and the grand finale is in December.
- Who can apply
- Students of higher education institutions in India, in teams of up to six registered through their institution's SPOC after an internal hackathon. Teams must follow the current official guidelines on composition.
- Where
- In person, India
Dates move from year to year. Check the official page before you plan around them.
What it is
Smart India Hackathon (SIH) is a nationwide initiative of India's Ministry of Education Innovation Cell and AICTE. Ministries, government departments, public sector bodies and companies publish problem statements in software and hardware editions. Student teams propose solutions, and the best are invited to a national grand finale where they build non-stop for 36 hours. The 2025 edition held its finale in early December across about 60 centres.
Who can apply
Students enrolled at higher education institutions in India. Teams register through their institution, which runs an internal hackathon to choose which teams to nominate. Teams have up to six members and must meet the official composition rules for the year, so read the current guidelines on the portal.
Timeline
The usual cycle:
- August to September: problem statements are published and institutions register.
- September: internal hackathons at each college.
- October to November: idea submissions are evaluated and finalists shortlisted.
- December: grand finale.
Check sih.gov.in for the current year's dates.
How to get in
- Ask your college's SIH coordinator (SPOC) about the internal hackathon date as soon as the cycle opens.
- Choose a problem statement you can actually prototype, with data or hardware you can access.
- Prepare a strong idea presentation: the problem, your approach, a feasibility check and a demo plan.
- Balance the team across development, design, domain research and presentation.
What you get
Winning teams receive cash prizes for each problem statement; check the current guidelines for amounts. Finalists also gain national visibility and contacts in government and industry.
Pair it with on Sefism
- Pick a related idea from FYP ideas and turn your SIH work into your final year project.
- Prepare as a team with the Fullstack roadmap or the Embedded and IoT roadmap for hardware problems.
- Present it on your CV with the Job-ready roadmap.
Best for: students at Indian colleges who want a national-level hackathon with real problem statements.
Ready to start?
Opens on Ministry of Education Innovation Cell and AICTE in a new tab.
Stuck on something specific?
Writing only gets you so far. If you want an answer to your situation rather than the general case, book a session and we will work through it together. Sessions are free for approved Sefism members, and a few slots open each week.
Follow along
New writing, resources and project ideas land here first.