Sahyadri College Hosts Protothon 2026: A 24-Hour Innovation Marathon Transforming Ideas into Prototypes

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Mangaluru : Sahyadri College of Engineering & Management, Mangaluru, successfully organized “Protothon 2026,” a rigorous 24-hour hackathon held on March 13 and 14, 2026. The event was conducted in association with MEITY Startup Hub – Genesis, and in collaboration with Sahynex Techsolutions, Technical Career Education (TCE), and Discover Dollar Inc. The hackathon aimed to bridge the gap between academic concepts and functional industrial prototypes. The inauguration featured esteemed academic leaders including Dr. Shamanth Rai, Dr. Rithesh Pakkala, and Principal Dr. S. S. Injaganeri, alongside Chief Guest Mr. Rakesh Kumar Desai from Ecolab, who inspired participants to develop impactful, real-world solutions.

The competition drew enthusiastic participation from engineering students across Karnataka, who worked tirelessly for 24 hours to brainstorm and refine solutions using emerging technologies, specifically Artificial Intelligence. To guide their efforts, Mr. Johnson Tellis, CEO of Sahyadri, and Mr. Rakesh Kumar Desai conducted specialized sessions on innovation mindset, entrepreneurship, and problem-solving approaches. The atmosphere was one of intense collaboration and technical rigor as teams tackled industrial challenges across multiple tracks, including Software (AI & ML and Data Engineering) and Hardware (Robotics and Embedded Systems).

The event culminated in a valedictory ceremony on March 14, graced by industry professionals such as Mr. Vishwanath Pai from Tiny Prism Labs. In the Software AI & ML track, ‘Team Boss Bandiths’ from St. Joseph Engineering College secured the top spot, while ‘Team Prahara’ from Sahyadri led the Data Engineering track. In the Hardware categories, Sahyadri teams dominated, with ‘Team Bot’ winning the Robotics track and ‘Team Nirvana’ clinching the Embedded Systems title. Dr. S. S. Injaganeri congratulated all participants for their technical expertise, marking Protothon 2026 as a milestone in fostering an innovation-driven ecosystem in the region.