SquidHack 2026

About the Hackathon: Squid Hack 2026 is a 24-hour innovation challenge designed to bring together creative minds, problem-solvers, and tech enthusiasts from across the country. Eligibility Criteria: Open to all UG, PG, and Dual Degree students from recognized universities and institutions. Students from all branches and specializations are eligible. Participants must possess a valid college ID. Cross-college teams are allowed. Team Size: Minimum Team Size: 1 Members Maximum Team Size: 4 Members At least one female member is mandatory in every team. Hackathon Format: Round 1: Registration & Idea Submission Register your team on Unstop by paying a registration fee of ₹100 per team. Submit your Problem Statement PPT outlining your proposed solution. The PPT should cover: Problem Statement, Proposed Solution, and Expected Impact. Participants are free to choose their own problem statement and PPT format. Round 2: Grand Finale (Offline) Only Shortlisted Teams from the PPT Round will advance to the Grand Finale. All finalist teams must complete the Final Round Registration (₹1500 per team) before the deadline to be eligible for participation. This is a fully offline round — all teams must be physically present at the venue: SAGE University, Indore. Teams will be required to build their complete project from scratch during the hackathon duration — no pre-built projects allowed. Problem statements will be published on the SquidHack website 2 days before the hackathon. Shortlisted teams must choose one of the available problem statements, with each statement having a limited team capacity. Mentors will be available on-site to guide and assist teams throughout the development phase. Round 3: Final Presentation & Demo Teams will present their working prototype before the judging panel. Judges will evaluate projects based on innovation, impact, feasibility, and execution. Themes: Participants can build solutions in any of the following domains: Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning Web Development Mobile Applications Cybersecurity FinTech HealthTech EdTech Sustainability & Smart Cities Open Innovation Judging Criteria: Innovation & Creativity – 30% Technical Implementation – 25% Problem Relevance – 20% User Experience & Design – 10% Scalability & Impact – 15% Rules & Regulations: The project must be developed during the hackathon period. The idea should be original and not previously submitted in any competition. Open-source libraries and AI tools are permitted. Plagiarism or copied projects will result in immediate disqualification. One participant can register with only one team. Organizers reserve the right to verify project authenticity. All decisions made by the judging panel will be final and binding.