📌 About the event

QUANTATHON 2026 is an elite, high-octane 36-hour continuous international live hackathon dedicated to advancing next-generation quantum paradigms. Hosted by the Rajalakshmi Institute of Technology, this sprint serves as a melting pot for international researchers, computer scientists, AI engineers, and quantum physicists.

The hackathon aims to move complex quantum mechanics out of theoretical laboratories and into functional, industrial-grade software repositories. Participants are challenged to build deep-tech solutions alongside premier policy leads from the National Quantum Mission and industry veterans from IBM, directly influencing the next era of computational acceleration.

---

📅 Critical Dates & System Timeline

• Hackathon Launch Gate: July 30, 2026
• Final Submission Cutoff: July 31, 2026
• Application Status: Registrations Open & Open for Global Cohorts
• Event Format: Live Hackathon Arena
• Host Institution: Rajalakshmi Institute of Technology (RIT)
• Strategic Ecosystem Partners: IBM, National Quantum Mission (NQM, Government of India), and BQP.

---

🧬 Core Engineering & Technology Tracks

Teams can choose to build prototypes across three high-impact technology verticals:

• 1. Quantum Computing Design scalable quantum algorithms, optimize quantum circuit compilation, simulate noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) devices, or construct novel error-correction protocols.
• 2. Quantum + AI (Quantum Machine Learning) Merge classical artificial intelligence with quantum architectures. Focus areas include Quantum Neural Networks (QNN), parameterized quantum circuits for optimization, and leveraging Variational Quantum Eigensolvers (VQE) to accelerate machine learning models.
• 3. Quantum Cybersecurity Develop systems resilient to quantum-level threats. This includes deploying Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) algorithms, engineering Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) simulation fabrics, and constructing security layers capable of withstand shorthand algorithmic attacks.

---

🌟 Key Highlights & Ecosystem Benefits

• International Convergence: Work and compete alongside top-tier global software developers and academic minds.
• Industry Mentorship: Direct access to core engineering support, API sandboxes, and hardware compilation insights from quantum scientists at IBM and BQP.
• Sovereign Alignment: Projects will be visible to delegates from India’s National Quantum Mission, providing a direct bridge to national research infrastructure.

---

🎁 Incentives, Cash Pools & Global Career Gateways

💰 Fiscal Incentives (Direct Cash Grants)

• 💵 Total Cumulative Cash Pool: ₹5,00,000 (5 Lakhs INR) allocated across top-tier technical configurations.

🚀 Non-Fiscal Incentives & Global Placement Perks

• ✈️ International University Internships: Top winning innovators secure fully-vetted research and development internship opportunities at premier international universities and global quantum labs.
• 🛠️ Infrastructure Access: Potential fast-track access to specialized hardware runtimes and partner development portals.