AI with Initiative: AI Makes the First Move - Hackathon

About the Event: As artificial intelligence moves from being a supporting tool to a decision-making force, the question is no longer just "Can AI help us?" but "Should AI take the first move?" This hackathon, themed "AI with Initiative: AI Makes the First Move," challenges participants to explore how AI can proactively identify problems, initiate solutions, and drive outcomes rather than simply responding to human prompts. In a world where businesses, governments, and industries are rapidly adopting agentic and autonomous AI systems, this theme encourages participants to think beyond conventional AI applications and design solutions where AI takes initiative responsibly, intelligently, and impactfully. Participants will work on a real-world problem statement or case study, develop a solution, and present it through a presentation and prototype/design. The top teams will be invited to the SIDTM campus to build and present their final solutions before a panel of judges. Venue: Symbiosis Institute of Digital and Telecom Management (SIDTM), Lavale Hilltop Campus, Pune. Round 1 will be conducted online, while the finale will be held offline. Eligibility: Undergraduate students. Postgraduate students. Engineering students. Management students. Students from Arts, Commerce, Science, and other disciplines. Team Size: Exactly 3 members per team. All team members must belong to the same college. Important Dates: Registrations Open & Case Study Released: 5 August 2026. Registrations Close: 15 August 2026. Round 1 Submission Deadline: 17 August 2026. Top 10 Teams Announced: By 20 August 2026. Finalists Arrive on Campus: 3–4 September 2026. Solution Building: 4 September 2026 (10:00 AM) to 5 September 2026 (1:00 PM). Final Presentations & Judging: 5 September 2026 (1:30 PM onwards). Award Ceremony: 5 September 2026 (3:30 PM onwards). Competition Format: Round 1 – Online Case Study Submission: The case study will be available on Unstop when registrations open. Participants will receive one of two case studies released during registration. Teams must submit a 6–8 slide presentation addressing the assigned case study. The presentation must include a design or prototype of the proposed solution. Submission format: PDF (exported from PPT). File naming convention: TeamName_CollegeName_Hackathon. The top 10 teams will qualify for the offline finale. Round 2 – Offline Grand Finale: Shortlisted teams will report to the SIDTM Lavale Hilltop Campus between 3 September and 4 September 2026. A new case study will be provided on campus. Teams will build or refine their solution from 4 September (10:00 AM) until 5 September (1:00 PM). Final presentations will take place on 5 September from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM. The award ceremony will begin at 3:30 PM. Winners and runners-up will be selected based on the final presentations and prototypes. Benefits: No registration fee. Accommodation for finalist teams on 3 and 4 September. Food and refreshments on 3, 4, and 5 September. E-Certificate of Participation for all registered participants. Finalist Certificate for the Top 10 teams. Trophy and Merit Certificate for Winners and Runners-up. Hampers and goodies for finalists, winners, and runners-up. Guidelines: Each team must consist of exactly 3 members from the same college or institute. Submissions must follow the prescribed PDF format and file naming convention. Only shortlisted teams will be invited to the offline finale. Any form of plagiarism or misrepresentation will result in disqualification. The decisions of the judges and organizing committee shall be final and binding. Disclaimer: Participants must arrange their own travel to and from the venue. Accommodation will be provided only on 3 and 4 September. The organizers reserve the right to modify the schedule, format, or venue if required. All decisions taken by SIDTM and the judging panel shall be final and binding.