Grand finale of Smart India Hackathon Hardware edition begins at IIT Kharagpur

Kolkata, Dec 8 (PTI) The grand finale of the 'Smart India Hackathon (SIH) 2025 – Hardware Edition' started at the IIT Kharagpur campus in West Bengal’s Paschim Medinipur district on Monday.

This year’s edition from December 8 to 12 holds special significance as it coincides with IIT Kharagpur’s Platinum Jubilee, marking 75 years of the institute’s contribution to technology, research and nation-building.

Dean Administration Kamal Lochan Panigrahi, president of the Technology Students' Gymkhana, Jitendra Mahakud, SIH 2025 convenor Vidya Kochat and co-convenor Aditya Bandopadhyay and other dignitaries encouraged participants to push the boundaries of creativity and engineering.

Launched in 2017 by the Ministry of Education's Innovation Cell and the All-India Council for Technical Education, the SIH has evolved into the world's largest open innovation platform and empowers students to address real-world challenges presented by government bodies, ministries, industries, and NGOs, a statement by the institute said.

SIH has set new benchmarks in participation with 72,165 idea submissions, 68,766 student teams, and 271 problem statements sourced from ministries, PSUs, corporates, and industry partners, an IIT KGP spokesperson said.

At the institutional level, 2,587 higher education institutions, 1,42,715 teams, and 8,26,635 students took part in internal hackathons, making this edition one of the most inclusive national innovation engagements to date.

"As the institute celebrates its historic 75th year, the SIH 2025 Grand Finale stands as a testament to IIT Kharagpur's enduring mission, where technology meets purpose, and innovation fuels national aspirations," he said. PTI SUS MNB