Opportunity brief
About VYOM Edition 1 (2026–27) VYOM Edition 1 (2026–27) is a premier National-Level Hardware + Software Hackathon cum Project Expo organized by Government College of Engineering, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (GECCS) in association with the Center of Excellence (CoE) – TSSIP and the Ankur Incubation Center Foundation (AICF). Designed to bridge academic theory with industrial execution, VYOM challenges student innovators across the nation to build scalable hardware prototypes, robust software architectures, or integrated hybrid solutions across 10 specialized technology domains.
Eligibility & Team Formation Guidelines
- Eligible Participants: Open to all undergraduate and postgraduate engineering, technology, and science students currently enrolled in any recognized institute or university across India. - Team Size: 2 to 5 members per team (including one designated Team Leader). Individual participation is not permitted. - Inter-College Teams: Allowed. Students from different colleges or universities can collaborate and form a team. - Inter-Specialization / Inter-Department Teams: Allowed and strongly encouraged. Students from different engineering branches (e.g., ENTC, CSE, Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, AI/DS) and different academic years can form a single team, especially for hybrid Hardware + Software solutions. - One Team Per Participant: A student can be a member of only one team. Multiple registrations by the same individual across different teams will lead to disqualification. - Valid Identification: All team members must possess a valid college photo ID card for verification during screening and offline participation.
Competition Tracks & 10 Innovation Domains Teams may participate in the Hardware Track, the Software Track, or combine both Hardware and Software to build an integrated hybrid project.
-
Hardware Innovation Track (4 Domains)
-
Domain 1: Robotics, Drones & Autonomous Systems
-
Domain 2: IoT, Embedded Systems & Smart Edge Devices
-
Domain 3: Clean Energy, EV Tech & Sustainable Hardware
- Domain 4: Industrial Automation, Mechatronics & Smart Manufacturing
-
Software Innovation Track (6 Domains)
- Domain 5: Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning & Computer Vision -
Domain 6: FinTech, Blockchain & Cybersecurity
-
Domain 7: HealthTech, MedTech & Assistive Digital Solutions
-
Domain 8: AgriTech, Rural Innovation & Smart Cities
-
Domain 9: EdTech, SaaS & Developer Productivity Tools
-
Domain 10: Open Innovation & Next-Gen Cloud/Web Platforms
- Number of Problem Statements: 10 Thematic Domain Tracks + Open Innovation. Teams can either address real-world industrial challenges aligned with any of the 10 specified domains or propose an original problem statement under their selected domain.
Competition Process, Format & Duration of Rounds VYOM Edition 1 follows a structured 3-Phase / 3-Round format:
-
Round 1: Idea & Proposal Submission (Online)
- Duration: 2 November 2026 – 25 November 2026 (Submission window open 24x7 until deadline). - Registration Fee for Round 1: 100% Free. - Format & Deliverables: Teams register online, select their primary domain (Hardware, Software, or Hybrid), and submit a structured project proposal/abstract (PDF/PPT format) using the official template. The submission must cover the problem statement, proposed technical architecture, block diagram/workflow, component/tech-stack list, feasibility, and expected real-world impact. - Shortlisting: Proposals are evaluated by domain experts on novelty, technical feasibility, and societal/industrial relevance.
- Round 2: Prototype Preparation, Mentorship & Virtual Screening (Online)
- Duration: 1 December 2026 – 17 December 2026 (2.5-week preparation and mentoring window, culminating in a 10–15 minute live virtual screening session per team). - Registration Fee for Round 2: 100% Free. - Format & Deliverables: Shortlisted teams from Round 1 refine their designs and build an initial Proof-of-Concept (PoC), simulation, CAD/circuit model, or early software build. Each team presents their progress live via video conferencing before an expert screening panel (7-minute demonstration + 5-minute Q&A). - Finalist Selection: Top-performing teams across all 10 domains are shortlisted for the Grand Finale at the GECCS campus.
- Round 3: On-Campus Grand Finale — 16-Hour Buildathon & Project Expo (Offline)
- Venue: Government College of Engineering, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (GECCS Campus). - Registration Fee for Round 3 Finalists: ₹500 per team (Applicable only to shortlisted teams qualifying for the offline Round 3 Grand Finale). - Duration: 16-Hour Continuous Buildathon Sprint followed by a Full-Day Live Project Expo & Final Jury Pitch. - Software Track Format: Teams engage in an intensive 16-hour on-campus coding sprint to build, integrate, and deploy their working application, followed by live demonstration and code review. - Hardware & Hybrid Track Format: Teams utilize the pre-finale fabrication window (18 December – 31 December 2026) to assemble core hardware rigs and use the 16-hour on-campus window for system integration, sensor calibration, stress testing, and live exhibition at the Project Expo.
Evaluation Criteria (100-Point Rubric) All projects are evaluated by an independent jury of industry specialists, startup founders, and senior faculty across five weighted parameters:
-
Innovation, Novelty & Problem Relevance: 20 Marks
- Technical Complexity, Architecture & Engineering Depth: 25 Marks -
Working Prototype / Execution Quality & Live Demo: 25 Marks
- Scalability, Commercial Viability & Real-World Impact: 15 Marks -
Presentation, Documentation & Q&A Defense: 15 Marks
Official Rules & Regulations
- Originality Mandate: All projects must be original work conceived and developed by the participating team. Plagiarism, submitting pre-built commercial products, or copying existing repositories without transparent attribution will result in immediate disqualification. - Round 3 Finalist Fee: Entry to Round 1 and Round 2 is completely free. Teams that qualify for the offline Round 3 Grand Finale are required to pay a nominal registration fee of ₹500 per team to confirm their participation and on-campus slot. - Cross-Track Flexibility: Teams are explicitly permitted to combine Hardware and Software components in a single project; however, they must select the primary domain that best represents their core innovation during registration. - Team Lock-In: Once Round 1 closes, changes to team members or substitution of participants are strictly prohibited without prior written approval from the organizing committee. - Open-Source & AI Usage (Software Track): Use of open-source libraries, public APIs, and standard frameworks is permitted, provided all dependencies are declared. While core architectural boilerplates can be planned in advance, the primary functional build and integration must be executed and verifiable during the hackathon. - Version Control (Software Track): Teams must maintain an active Git repository initialized for the competition to allow evaluators to inspect commit histories and code authenticity. - BYOD – Bring Your Own Device/Components (Hardware Track): Teams are responsible for bringing their own microcontrollers, sensors, actuators, custom PCBs, soldering kits, and specialized tools. Standard AC power outlets, high-speed internet/Wi-Fi, and worktables are provided at the venue. - Safety Compliance (Hardware Track): Projects involving high-voltage circuits, lithium-polymer (LiPo) batteries, flammable materials, or autonomous drones must strictly adhere to campus lab safety protocols and undergo a mandatory safety check prior to powering on. - Discipline & Ethics: Participants must maintain professional decorum, wear official event ID badges at all times on campus, and treat fellow participants, mentors, jury members, and institutional property with respect. - Intellectual Property (IP): Participating student teams retain full ownership and intellectual property rights over their codebases, designs, and prototypes. Promising projects will receive fast-track pre-incubation support and mentorship opportunities through AICF and CoE – TSSIP. - Organizer Rights & Binding Decisions: The organizing committee reserves the right to modify or update competition rules, schedules, round structures, and operational guidelines at any stage if required. All evaluation scores and decisions made by the judging panel and organizing committee are final and binding.