A section of the students participating in Smart India Hackathon 2025 with Vidyavardhaka College of Engineering authorities in Mysuru on December 8.
| Photo Credit: M.A. SRIRAM
Student innovators from premier engineering institutions transcended theory to confront real-life problems to conceive innovative solutions at the Smart India Hackathon (SIH) 2025, organised at the Vidyavardhaka College of Engineering (VVCE) in the city on December 8.
The two-day event not only demands clarity of thought but precision and speed in coming up with solutions as teams dive into issues such as technology optimisation, public-service efficiency, working under tight timelines, and so on.
SIH is conducted by the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell (MIC), Government of India, and this is the eighth edition of the event. It is one of India’s largest national innovation platforms, encouraging creativity, problem-solving, and entrepreneurial thinking among the youth, according to VVCE authorities.
In all, 20 teams with 140 participants began the race on December 8 morning to meet the deadline to produce deployable solutions based on problem statements provided by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).
The event was inaugurated by Rohith Aradhya, vice-president and managing director, Barracuda Networks, who said that the world is on the verge of technological transformation where knowledge alone no longer provides any edge.
‘’Any information is available at your fingertips and what matters is how you use it, add value, and effectively execute your ideas,’’ he added.
Students were urged to understand the core problem being handled by them and visualise their solutions in a larger context and refine them for real-world environment and application. The Indian market, he said, is unique, and a product’s success depends on its simplicity and relevance, not complexity.
Sadashive Gowda, principal, VVCE, said students from across India are participating with the shared goal of contributing to the nation’s journey from a service-based to a product-based economy.
“India aims to grow from a USD 4.2 trillion economy to USD 25–35 trillion by 2047. Creative, product-oriented thinking by young innovators is essential to achieve the target,” he underscored.
Convenor V. Ravikumar said that SIH 2025 features 60 nodal centres across the country, including VVCE, and it has secured the second-highest representations from Karnataka. He said participants will tackle core problem statements under expert jury evaluation. ‘’These talents will compete to develop innovative solutions to real-world challenges based on problem statements provided by AICTE, New Delhi,’’ he added.
Gundappa Gowda, president of Vidyavardhaka Sangha, P. Vishwanath, secretary, Vidyavardhaka Sangha, Shrishaila Ramannavar, treasurer, and Akhilesh Kumar Singh, AICTE representative, were among those present.
Published – December 08, 2025 06:23 pm IST
