📌 About the Hackathon

INCEPTIA is a highly competitive, national-level hackathon organized by the Pimpri Chinchwad College of Engineering & Research (PCCOE&R), Pune.

Designed as a two-phase open innovation sprint, the event brings together India’s top engineering and IT student talent to solve complex, real-world problems. For participating brands and sponsors, it serves as a high-visibility platform to scout, recruit, and connect with elite technical minds.

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⏱️ Hackathon Timeline

Mark these critical dates on your calendar to ensure you don’t miss any deadlines:

• Event Launch: June 30, 2026
• Online Submission Window: July 18, 2026 – July 23, 2026
• Results Declaration (Round 1): July 25, 2026
• Offline Grand Finale (Round 2): August 7, 2026 – August 8, 2026 (Hosted physically on the college campus)

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🧩 The Two-Phase Evaluation Structure

[Round 1: Online Ideation] – [Round 2: 24-Hour Offline Sprint]
(PPT Proposal & Review) (On-campus prototyping & pitch)

Round 1: Online Presentation Submission

• What to do: Teams must submit a structured presentation (PPT/PDF) detailing their proposed idea.
• Key Focus: Clear problem definition, proposed tech architecture, feasibility, and potential impact.

Round 2: 24-Hour Offline Hackathon

• What to do: Shortlisted teams will travel to the PCCOE&R campus in Pune.
• Key Focus: You have exactly 24 hours to build a working prototype from scratch, followed by a live demonstration and Q&A pitch in front of an expert panel of judges.
• Note: Finalists are typically required to pay a minor participation fee (e.g., ₹549 per person) which covers food and on-campus accommodation during the offline round.

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🏆 Prize Pool & Rewards

INCEPTIA offers a generous cash prize pool of ₹50,000 alongside goodies for top-performing teams:

Placement	Cash Reward
🥇 Winner	₹25,000/-
🥈 1st Runner-up	₹15,000/-
🥉 2nd Runner-up	₹10,000/-

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💻 Key Tracks & Focus Areas

Participants are encouraged to build solutions across these main technical domains:

• Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning (including Autonomous AI Agents)
• Web3, Blockchain, & Fintech
• Healthcare Technology
• EdTech (Education)
• Open Innovation (Any unique, impactful problem statement)

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👥 Eligibility Rules

• Team Size: 2 to 4 members per team.
• Academic Background: Open to undergraduate and postgraduate students from all registered Indian colleges and universities.
• Cross-Disciplinary Teams: Inter-college and inter-specialization teams are fully allowed and encouraged.