Mangaluru : Grand Finale of the Smart India Hackathon (Software Edition) 2024 hosted at Sahyadri College of Engineering & Management, Mangaluru on 11th Dec 2024 in association with Ministry of Education-AICTE, Govt. of India.

The inauguration ceremony of Smart India Hackathon was held on 11th Dec, 2024 by lighting the lamp in the presence of the Chief Guest Padma Bhushan Dr. B N Suresh, Chancellor, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, (IIST), Thiruvananthapuram, alongside Mr. Shyamal Kishore, AICTE Nodal Centre Head; Dr. Manjappa Sarathi, Director-R&D; Mr. Devadas Hegde, Trustee; Dr. S S Injaganeri, Principal; Mr. Johnson Tellis, CEO and Trustee and Dr. Duddela Prashanth, Convener of Sahyadri SIH 2024.

During the welcome address, Dr. S S Injaganeri, re-iterated the various problem statements included in the SIH 2024 like Health care, supply chain and logistics, smart technology, sustainability, education institute development, water, agriculture, food emerging technology and disaster management. He also highlighted some of the interesting problem statements of this edition referring to ‘enhancing images of darker regions on the moon’ presented by ISRO and developing a real time ganga water quality monitoring system using AI satellite data and IOT presented by Ministry of Jala Shakthi

In his concluding remarks, Principal expressed how proud he feels about Sahyadri, for hosting this event for the second time, around 27 teams participating with 162 students. This year more than 250 problem statements have been submitted by 54 Ministry State Government, public sector undertaking and industries. A total of 2,247 higher educational institutions are participating with more than 86,000 teams at institute level and 49,000 student teams at national level.

Later, in his inaugural address, Dr. B N Suresh delivered an insightful and inspiring talk on innovation, entrepreneurship, and nation-building. He began by emphasizing that “Innovation is the buzzword today. Only countries that innovate can survive in the modern world.” Highlighting the entrepreneurial journey, Dr. Suresh stressed that taking risks is fundamental, and failure should be embraced as an essential stepping stone to success. He quoted Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, saying, “If you want to shine like a sun, first learn to burn like a sun.” Dr. Suresh outlined a structured path for innovation, focusing on the triad of innovation, incubation, and start-ups. He emphasized the qualities required for entrepreneurial success, including resilience, perseverance, hard work, and creative thinking. In the context of nation-building, Dr. Suresh urged the audience to adopt a forward-thinking mindset inspired by Dr. Vikram Sarabhai. He highlighted the significance of India’s space program, which serves as a beacon of hope and opportunity for 1.4 billion people.

Dr. Suresh concluded his address with a powerful call to action: “You are the key people who will play a major role in shaping India’s future. For India, to become a developed nation, the responsibility rests on your shoulders.”
During the Presidential Remarks, Dr. Manjappa Sarathi on behalf of the Chairman, endorsed the words and sentiments expressed by the chief guest and conveyed his best wishes to all the participants and he officially declared the Smart India Hackathon (SIH) open, marking the beginning of an exciting journey for the participants.

Next, the Central Inauguration held online witnessed the esteemed presence of several distinguished personalities, including the Honourable Minister Dharmendra Pradhan; Dr. T.G. Sitharam, AICTE Chairman and Former Director of the Indian Institute of Guwahati, and Dr. Sukanth Majumdar, Minister of State (New Delhi) in the Ministry of Education. Also gracing the occasion were Mr. Sant Ranjan, AVP & Head of R&D at Godrej Appliance and Mr. Sanjay Kumar, Chief Secretary of Education. Additionally, Dr. Anil Sahasrabudhe, Former AICTE Chairman, lent his presence, adding to the significance of the event.

Mr. Sanjay Kumar from the Ministry of Education emphasized the importance of innovation, highlighting its role in shaping education from the school level. He described the Smart India Hackathon not as a mere competition but as a significant movement fostering innovation and creativity.

Honourable Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, while addressing the gathering, shared his recent experience in Australia, where he had the opportunity to discuss the Smart India Hackathon and its profound impact. He reflected on the idea and germination of this initiative, now in its 7th edition, envisioning it as a blueprint for shaping the future of innovation over the coming centuries. Highlighting India’s exceptional talent, he mentioned that out of 64 key areas of innovation globally, India is making significant contributions in 35 of them. The Minister proudly declared the commencement of the Smart India Hackathon, underscoring its importance as a platform to harness the creative potential of the nation’s youth and drive technological progress.

With this, the formal inauguration, both local and central came to an end giving the 36-hour Hackathon kickstart.