Smart India Hackathon 2026 – VSSUT Burla Internal Hackathon
Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT), Burla
📌About the Event
The Smart India Hackathon 2026 – VSSUT Burla Internal Hackathon is the university-level qualifying round through which student teams from Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT), Burla can progress to Smart India Hackathon (SIH) 2026. VSSUT officially announced its SIH 2026 SPOC on 31 July 2026 and invited interested departments/students to coordinate the Internal Hackathon. Under SIH rules, students cannot directly enter the national competition; they must first qualify through their institution’s internal hackathon and be nominated by the university SPOC.
ℹ️ Event Details
- Host Institute: Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT), Burla, Odisha.
- Purpose: To shortlist VSSUT student teams for nomination to the national-level Smart India Hackathon 2026. Only teams qualifying through an internal hackathon can be registered for SIH 2026.
- Categories: Software and Hardware.
- Internal Hackathon Mode: Not yet announced by VSSUT. SIH 2026 permits institutions to conduct/report their internal hackathon as online or offline.
- National Grand Finale Mode: Offline, at SIH nodal centres across India.
- Registration Process: Students cannot register directly on the SIH portal. VSSUT’s SPOC will nominate teams after the internal selection.
- VSSUT SIH 2026 SPOC: Dr. Debasmita Mishra, Assistant Professor and Coordinator, Faculty and Planning, VSSUT Burla.
📅 Important Dates
- VSSUT SIH 2026 announcement: 31 July 2026.
- National SIH team nomination & idea submission deadline: 15 September 2026,
🎯 Eligibility & Rules
- Eligibilty:
- Students must be enrolled at VSSUT; SIH participation is for students pursuing regular programmes.
- Team Size: Exactly 6 students, including the team leader.
- Female Member: At least one female student is mandatory in every team.
- Same Institute Rule: All six members must belong to the same institution; inter-college teams are not allowed. Students from different branches/disciplines within VSSUT may form a team.
- Software Teams: Strong programming skills are important; the official FAQ specifies that a majority of members should possess strong programming skills.
- Hardware Teams: Multidisciplinary teams involving fields such as mechanical, electronics, programming and product design are encouraged.
- Idea Limit: One team can submit ideas against a maximum of 2 problem statements.
🏆 Benefits for the Participants
- National SIH 2026 Prize: ₹1,50,000 per winning team/problem statement in both Software and Hardware categories.
- Prize money is awarded by the collaborating ministry/industry subject to its acceptance of the winning solution.
- Travel Support: Grand Finale participants and eligible mentors can receive travel reimbursement of up to ₹3,000 per person, subject to actual expenses and bills.
- Accommodation: Accommodation for shortlisted teams during the Grand Finale will be arranged by the nodal centres.