Media Release
Mangaluru, Dec 11: The grand finale of the Smart India Hackathon (SIH) 2024 (Software Edition) was inaugurated at Sahyadri College of Engineering and Management, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education-AICTE, Government of India.
The inauguration ceremony began with the lighting of the lamp by the chief guest, Padma Bhushan Dr B N Suresh, chancellor, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), Thiruvananthapuram, along with Shyamal Kishore, AICTE nodal centre head; Dr Manjappa Sarathi, director of R&D; Devadas Hegde, trustee; Dr S S Injaganeri, principal; Johnson Tellis, CEO and trustee; and Dr Duddela Prashanth, convener of Sahyadri SIH 2024.
During his welcome address, Dr S S Injaganeri highlighted the various problem statements in SIH 2024, including healthcare, supply chain and logistics, smart technology, sustainability, education development, water, agriculture, food, emerging technology, and disaster management. He referred to notable problem statements such as enhancing images of darker regions on the moon (presented by ISRO) and developing a real-time Ganga water quality monitoring system using AI, satellite data, and IoT (presented by the Ministry of Jal Shakti). He expressed pride in Sahyadri hosting the event for the second time, with 27 teams and 162 students participating this year. He also noted that 2,247 higher education institutions with over 86,000 teams had competed at the institute level, while 49,000 student teams advanced to the national level.
In his inaugural address, Dr B N Suresh delivered an inspiring talk on innovation, entrepreneurship, and nation-building. He emphasized that "Innovation is the buzzword today. Only countries that innovate can survive in the modern world." Stressing the importance of risk-taking in entrepreneurship, he encouraged students to embrace failure as a step toward success. Quoting Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, he said, "If you want to shine like a sun, first learn to burn like a sun." Dr Suresh outlined a structured approach to innovation, focusing on the triad of innovation, incubation, and start-ups, and highlighted qualities like resilience, perseverance, hard work, and creative thinking as essential for entrepreneurial success.
He urged the audience to adopt a forward-thinking mindset, drawing inspiration from Dr Vikram Sarabhai, and underscored the importance of India’s space program as a beacon of hope for 1.4 billion people. Concluding his address, Dr Suresh said, "You are the key people who will play a major role in shaping India's future. For India to become a developed nation, the responsibility rests on your shoulders."
In his presidential remarks, Dr Manjappa Sarathi, representing the chairman, echoed Dr Suresh's sentiments and extended best wishes to all participants. He officially declared the SIH 2024 open, marking the start of the 36-hour hackathon.
The central inauguration, held online, featured prominent dignitaries, including the union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan; Dr T G Sitharam, AICTE chairman and former director of IIT Guwahati; and Dr Sukanta Majumdar, minister of state, Ministry of Education. Also present were Sant Ranjan, AVP and head of R&D at Godrej Appliances; Sanjay Kumar, chief secretary of education; and Dr Anil Sahasrabudhe, former AICTE chairman.
Sanjay Kumar highlighted the significance of innovation in transforming education and described the Smart India Hackathon as a movement fostering creativity. Minister Dharmendra Pradhan shared his experience discussing the Hackathon’s impact in Australia, noting India's exceptional contributions to global innovation across 35 key areas. He declared the Hackathon open, emphasizing its role in unlocking the creative potential of the nation’s youth and driving technological progress.
With the formal inauguration concluded, both at the local and central levels, the stage was set for the 36-hour Hackathon to commence.