Hosted by Ministry of Education & AICTE
Smart India Hackathon (SIH)
The Government of India's flagship nationwide innovation initiative where students solve real-world challenges submitted by central ministries, state departments, and industries.
Academic Year Eligibility
Key Benefit
₹1,00,000 Cash Prize per winning Problem Statement + Government Ministry Recognition
Eligibility Requirements
Eligible Degrees
B.Tech, B.E., BCA, MCA, M.Tech, B.Sc., Polytechnic / Diploma
Eligible Branches / Streams
All Engineering, Technology, and Applied Science Branches
Gender Eligibility
All Genders (Mandatory minimum 1 female teammate per team)
Geographic Scope
Recognized educational institutions across India
Participation Format
Team of 6 Members (Must include at least 1 female student)
Minimum Qualifications
Regularly enrolled students at an AICTE / UGC recognized institution with college SPOC approval.
Benefits & Rewards
• Direct national recognition by Government of India Ministries and AICTE. • Cash prize of ₹1,00,000 for each winning team per problem statement. • Potential incubation and grant support for outstanding working prototypes. • Travel allowance and full accommodation provided at national nodal centers during the Grand Finale.
How It Works
1. Internal College Hackathon: Colleges conduct internal screenings to nominate their top teams. 2. Problem Statement (PS) Selection: Teams select an official PS released by Central Ministries or PSU industries. 3. Idea Submission & Evaluation: PPT proposal and architectural diagrams submitted via the official SIH portal. 4. 36-Hour Non-Stop Grand Finale: Shortlisted teams travel to assigned national nodal centers across India to build and test their product non-stop.
How to Apply
1. Form a 6-member team ensuring at least one member is female. 2. Approach your college AICTE Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for internal nomination. 3. Submit the proposal PPT on the official sih.gov.in portal.
Visit Official PortalPreparation Guide
### How to Build a Winning SIH Solution - **Functional Completeness:** A working MVP with real database transactions always beats a slide deck with mockups. - **Offline Resiliency:** Many government problem statements (agriculture, disaster relief, rural logistics) require solutions to operate with low or intermittent internet connectivity. - **Role Division:** Assign dedicated roles: 2 Backend engineers, 2 Frontend/Mobile developers, 1 Database/DevOps engineer, and 1 Pitch/Presenter.
Pro Tips
• Do not overlook the mandatory female team member rule: submissions lacking gender diversity are automatically disqualified at the portal level. • Focus on user experience tailored for non-technical government officials and citizens.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can first-year students participate in SIH?
A: Yes! SIH is fully open to all academic years (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th year, BCA, MCA, and M.Tech).
Q: Can teams have less than 6 members?
A: No. SIH strictly requires exactly 6 students per team.
Q: Is individual participation allowed?
A: No, participation is exclusively team-based.