Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan virtually inaugurated the Grand Finale of the Smart India Hackathon (SIH) 2024, accompanied by Union Minister of State for Education, Dr. Sukanta Majumdar. Senior officials, including Education Secretary Shri Sanjay Kumar and AICTE leaders, were also present at the event, which is being held simultaneously across 51 centers nationwide.
In his address, Dharmendra Pradhan expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for envisioning the Smart India Hackathon as a platform to foster innovation and creativity among students. He underscored the role of youth energy, talent, and innovation in building a ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India), emphasizing that these qualities are vital in establishing India as a leading knowledge economy and global growth engine in the 21st century.
Dr. Sukanta Majumdar highlighted the transformative impact of SIH, turning challenges into opportunities for young minds. He also praised the growing inclusion of women in the hackathon, with each team now required to include at least one female participant, thus promoting gender equality and sustainable progress. Dr. Majumdar also commended the Ministry of Education’s efforts in nurturing an innovation-driven ecosystem that empowers students to translate their ideas into impactful solutions.
About Smart India Hackathon 2024
Launched in 2017, SIH has become one of India’s premier platforms for student innovation, aiming to solve real-world challenges faced by government ministries, industries, and organizations. The 7th edition of SIH commenced on December 11, 2024, featuring two editions: the Software Edition, which runs continuously for 36 hours, and the Hardware Edition, which will run until December 15.
This year, participants are working on more than 250 problem statements from 54 ministries, PSUs, state governments, and industries. Notable challenges include improving lunar imaging for ISRO, creating AI-powered real-time Ganga water quality monitoring systems for the Ministry of Jal Shakti, and designing a Smart Yoga Mat integrated with AI for the Ministry of AYUSH.
SIH 2024 has seen remarkable growth, with over 2,247 internal hackathons held at the institute level—an increase of 150% from 2023. A total of 49,000 student teams, comprising over 86,000 participants from institutions across the country, have qualified for the national round, making this edition the largest in SIH history.
Aligned with national priorities such as Healthcare, Sustainability, Smart Technologies, and Disaster Management, SIH 2024 continues to drive innovation, entrepreneurship, and youth-led development in India.
