Smart India Hackathon 2024: 1,300 Students Set to Solve Real-World Challenges

The seventh edition of the Smart India Hackathon (SIH), organized by the Ministry of Education, will get underway at 51 locations nationwide on December 11, 2024. 

SIH is a national program designed to give kids a way to deal with some of the challenging issues they encounter on a daily basis. It facilitates the development of a problem-solving mindset and a culture of product creation in pupils.

IIT Roorkee Set to Host SIH Grand Finale

The 2024 Smart India Hackathon (SIH) Grand Finale will be held at IIT Roorkee. Over 1,300 student teams will participate in this historic event, which is set to take place from December 11 to 15. The participating students will offer answers to urgent real-world problems provided by the different ministries of the central government.

How Will this Hackathon Work?

Like in past years, the student teams will either work on the issue statements provided by the ministries, departments, or companies, or they will submit a concept under one of the 17 topics in the Student Innovation Category.

54 ministries, departments, State Governments, PSUs, and industry have submitted more than 250 problem statements for SIH 2024.  

Nationwide Participation in the Hackathon

More than 86,000 teams participated in SIH 2024 at the institute level, and around 49,000 student teams (each with 6 students and 2 mentors) have been selected for the national round. A total of 10,800 students will be selected for the finale of the hackathon. 

The challenges focus on 17 key areas important to the country's needs, such as healthcare, supply chain, smart technologies, culture, sustainability, education, water, agriculture, emerging technologies, and disaster management.

A key factor in SIH's success is its Alumni Network. The network's portal (https://alumni.mic.gov.in/) shares success stories and highlights impactful outcomes. So far, SIH alumni have created over 100 startups, many of which focus on social impact.