The Smart India Hackathon (SIH) 2023 Grand Finale, jointly organized by the Ministry of Education's Innovative Cell (MIC) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), has emerged as the world's largest hackathon. This year's event has witnessed an impressive participation of more than 44,000 teams, contributing over 50,000 innovative solutions. Among these, a remarkable 12,000 participants and 2,500 coaches have advanced to the final stage. The program was inaugurated by Sri Prof T G Sitharam, Chairman of AICTE, simultaneously in New Delhi and across 48 nodal centers in India on December 19.

Chairman Prof T G Sitharam emphasized the significance of the Smart India Hackathon, an annual event since 2017, known globally as an open innovation platform where students tackle real-world challenges faced by various government ministries, industries, and organizations within stringent timeframes. AICTE has received 231 problem statements from 51 departments of 25 Ministries, encompassing a broad spectrum of challenges. These include developing drone-based surveillance systems for port areas, employing AI/ML for text-to-video conversion of PIB Press Releases in various regional languages, and utilizing digital technology to compute water footprints.

In addition to highlighting this year's program, which introduced the Smart India Hackathon - Junior for school students, Chairman Prof T G Sitharam underscored India's prominent position in research, innovation, and the startup ecosystem. He emphasized the significant increase in participation from previous years, noting the country's role as a leader in telecommunications, semiconductors, and logistics. He encouraged students to contribute their ideas through the Viksit Bharat portal, fostering a stronger nation.

SIH-2023 concluded its grand finale at H. Kempegowda Indoor Stadium at Vidyavardhaka College of Engineering (VVCE), Mysore, one of the four nodal centers selected from Karnataka.

Shashidhara Dongre, the global head of L&T Limited, serving as the chief guest, highlighted the evolution of engineering education, emphasizing the importance of practical exposure and innovation. He urged participants to pursue ethical and diligent work, citing the story of Larry Page inventing the Google Search Engine during his college days at Stanford University.

Dr. B Sadashivegowda, Nodel Center Head, explained the essence of hackathons and detailed the prizes, with each winning team set to receive 1 lakh rupees, amounting to a total of 2 crore rupees in prizes nationwide.

At VVCE, over 200 participants from VVCE, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Roorkee, VIT, IIIT Bengaluru, and students from various states are part of the 27 teams participating in the event.

Prof Pooja M R, Nodal officer, outlined the challenges tackled by the participating teams, spanning areas such as Similar Document Matching Algorithm, Dak Ghar Niryat Kendra (Postal Dept), Optimizing Doctor Availability and Appointment Allocation in Hospitals through Digital Technology and AI Integration, Real-Time Vehicle Tracking System, and Smart Glass Cleaning Robot.

The event witnessed the presence of several dignitaries, including AICTE Deputy Director Dr. Nikhil Kant, Gundappa Gowda, Hon. President of Vidyavardhaka Sangha, P Vishwanath, Hon. Secretary, Srishaila Ramannavar, Hon. Treasurer, Dr. B Sadashive Gowda, Principal VVCE, and other notable figures.