Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 8: The Grand Finale of the Smart India Hackathon (SIH) 2025 – Software Edition was inaugurated today at IIT Jammu, marking the official commencement of two days of intensive innovation, collaboration, and problem-solving.
The event brought together India’s brightest student innovators, esteemed mentors, and distinguished dignitaries, creating an atmosphere charged with creativity and enthusiasm.
The inauguration ceremony was graced by Prof Pallippattu Krishnan Vijayan, Senior Professor, IIT Jammu; Prof MT Arvind, Chief Innovation Officer, IIT Jammu; Dr Sarim Mohin, Innovation Officer, Innovation Cell, Ministry of Education, AICTE; Col Virinder Singh Jeji, Registrar, IIT Jammu; Dr Vijay Kumar Pal, SPOC and Assistant Professor, IIT Jammu.
Dr Vijay Kumar Pal, SPOC for SIH 2025 at IIT Jammu, formally inaugurated the hackathon. He emphasized the importance of teamwork, creativity, and dedication in translating ideas into impactful solutions.
Prof Pallippattu Krishnan Vijayan inspired the participants by highlighting innovation as a key driver of transformation. He encouraged students to approach challenges with curiosity, creativity, and a problem-solving mindset, reinforcing the significance of their efforts in addressing real-world issues.
The keynote address was delivered by Dr Sarim Mohin, Innovation Officer at AICTE’s Innovation Cell. He highlighted the importance of initiatives like SIH in fostering a culture of innovation, entrepreneurship, and practical problem-solving among higher education students across India.
IIT Jammu hosts 20 teams from various states of India. They will compete on 4 problem statements posed by National Training Research Organisation (NTRO).
The 2025 Grand Finale has attracted 1,360 top-performing teams from across India, including: Software Teams: 857, Total students: 8,160, Total Mentors: 1,365, Participating Institutes: 727, Student Cities Represented: 201. These teams were selected through an extensive nationwide process, which saw 72,165 ideas submitted by 68,766 student teams addressing 271 problem statements provided by ministries, state departments, PSUs, and corporate partners. At the institute level, 2,587 colleges conducted internal hackathons engaging 8, 26,635 students, of which 3, 34,456 were female students, demonstrating the wide reach and inclusive nature of the initiative.
The Software Edition of the Grand Finale at IIT Jammu will run for two days (8-9 December 2025), during which student teams will develop, code, and present solutions to real-world challenges, demonstrating creativity, problem-solving skills, and teamwork.
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