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Ministry of Education Innovation Cell + AICTE · HackathonSmart India Hackathon 2026
The Government of India's flagship national hackathon. Idea submission has closed for the original 240 problem statements, but sih.gov.in still lists 25 open ones: 20 close on 20 October and 5 software statements added since close on 28 October. Entry is still only through your college's SPOC, so ask today whether your campus has a nomination left.
Dates & timeline
Prizes
- ₹1,00,000 per winning team per problem statement in the 2024 software edition
- 2026 prize amounts not yet published on sih.gov.in — confirm on the portal
- Government of India's flagship hackathon, running since 2017
- Each college nominates a maximum of 30 teams + 5 waitlisted from its internal round
- 265 problem statements on sih.gov.in as of 19 Oct 2026 — 196 software, 69 hardware, up from 58 in total on 11 September
- Each problem statement shows its idea count out of 500; on 19 October the 25 still open ranged from 1 to 230, so none was full
Why it's worth your time
Smart India Hackathon is the largest hackathon in the country, run by the Ministry of Education's Innovation Cell with AICTE since 2017. Ministries and industry publish real problem statements, and student teams build working solutions against them in a 36-hour national finale.
The structure is the part most students discover too late: you cannot register yourself on sih.gov.in. Your college's SPOC runs an internal hackathon first, the college finalises its best 30 teams (plus 5 waitlisted), and only those team leaders register on the portal. Miss the internal round and your SIH is over before it starts. The portal deadline has already moved once: every problem statement originally listed 30 September 2026 as the deadline for idea submission, and as of 19 October the table marks the original 240 (5 October) as "Idea Submissions Closed", and shows 20 October for 20 statements added in early October and 28 October for 5 software statements added after that. Your college’s internal round still has to finish before your team submits, so the deadline that actually binds you is earlier and set by your own campus.
For a Tier-1 student the value is twofold: winning teams take home a cash prize per problem statement, and a working build against a ministry's real problem statement is a concrete, verifiable line that interviewers ask about — the problem statements and winners are public record. The choice has kept widening: the portal now lists 265 problem statements (196 software, 69 hardware), up from 58 in total on 11 September. Only the 25 late additions still accept ideas, and none is full: on 19 October the 20 closing 20 October (9 software, 11 hardware) showed between 32 and 230 ideas out of a 500 cap, and the 5 software statements closing 28 October showed 1 or 2 each.
How to apply
Find your college's SIH SPOC (single point of contact / faculty coordinator) — every participating institute has one registered on the portal.
Enter your college's internal hackathon with a team if it is still running; that round decides everything.
If your college nominates your team, your team leader registers on sih.gov.in and submits your idea against a published problem statement — check the statement's own deadline (20 or 28 October — the original 240 are closed) and its idea count before you pick it.
Shortlisted ideas go to the 36-hour Grand Finale in December at a nodal centre.
Frequently asked questions
Can I register on sih.gov.in directly?
No. Registration flows through your college: the SPOC runs an internal hackathon, the college finalises its best 30 teams plus 5 waitlisted, and only nominated team leaders register on the portal.
What is the actual deadline?
It has moved more than once. sih.gov.in originally listed 30 September 2026 as the "Deadline for Idea Submission" against every problem statement; as of 19 October the original 240 statements (5 October) are marked closed, 20 statements close on 20 October 2026 and 5 software statements added later close on 28 October 2026, so check the date on the specific statement you pick. That is the portal deadline for nominated teams — your college’s internal hackathon must conclude before it, and that internal date is set by your own SPOC.
Does it cost anything?
No — participation is free at every stage.
What if my college isn't running an internal hackathon?
Ask the training & placement cell or innovation cell who the registered SPOC is — colleges must conduct the internal round to nominate teams, and most Tier-1 campuses participate every year.
Official links
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