Opportunity brief

Hack The Future 3.0 – National Hackathon 2026 | Project to Product | Tula's University

All That You Need to Know About Hack The Future 3.0

Hack The Future 3.0 (HTF 3.0) is a National-Level Hackathon 2026 organized by Tula's University, Dehradun, in collaboration with the Tula's ACM Student Chapter.

Scheduled for 25th–26th September 2026, Hack The Future 3.0 is a 30-hour hybrid hackathon bringing together students, developers, designers, innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers, and problem-solvers from across India.

The central theme of HTF 3.0 is "Project to Product" — challenging participants to move beyond academic projects and build solutions with real-world usability, scalability, impact, and product potential.

Participants will get the opportunity to Ideate, Build, Prototype, Test, Validate, and Pitch their solutions while competing for ₹5 Lakh+ in Prize & Incubation Value, along with additional goodies, .xyz domain opportunities, incubation opportunities, mentorship, internship opportunities, and industry exposure.

Why Join Hack The Future 3.0?

Hack The Future 3.0 is more than just a coding competition. It is an opportunity to transform your idea into something with real-world potential.

Rewards & Opportunities

₹5 Lakh+ Prize & Incubation Value

₹1.65 Lakh Cash Prize Pool

₹1.2 Lakh+ Incubation Support for EACH of the Top 3 Teams

- 1st Prize: ₹65,000 Cash + ₹1.2 Lakh+ Incubation Support - 2nd Prize: ₹45,000 Cash + ₹1.2 Lakh+ Incubation Support - 3rd Prize: ₹35,000 Cash + ₹1.2 Lakh+ Incubation Support -

TTBIF Incubation Opportunities

IIT Roorkee TIDES Incubation Opportunities

- Internship Opportunities through Global Trading Technologies - .xyz Domain Opportunities & Exclusive Goodies - Cybersecurity Ecosystem Opportunities through CSA - Free Accommodation for participants on 25th–26th September - Free Food during the final hackathon - Mentorship and industry interaction - National-level networking - Opportunity to showcase your project before an expert jury - Opportunity to transform your project into a product or startup - Additional partner-powered rewards and opportunities

Theme – Project to Product

A project shows what you can build.

A product shows why it should exist.

At Hack The Future 3.0, participants are encouraged to think beyond coding and focus on the complete journey:

Problem → Solution → Prototype → Validation → Product

Teams should identify meaningful problems, develop innovative solutions, build functional prototypes, understand their target users, and demonstrate how their solution can create real-world impact and product value.

Build. Validate. Pitch. Turn Your Project into a Product.

Tracks & Innovation Themes

Participants can choose from the following hackathon tracks:

1. AI / Machine Learning

Build innovative solutions using Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Generative AI, NLP, Computer Vision, intelligent automation, and emerging AI technologies.

2. Cybersecurity

Develop solutions for cybersecurity, digital safety, privacy, threat detection, secure systems, ethical security, and emerging cyber challenges.

3. Robotics & Automation

Build solutions involving robotics, automation, embedded systems, intelligent hardware, autonomous systems, and physical prototypes.

4. Social Impact & Public Good

Use technology to address challenges in education, healthcare, accessibility, sustainability, governance, communities, and public welfare.

5. Open Innovation

Have an innovative idea outside the defined tracks?

Build a technology-driven solution to solve a meaningful real-world problem.

Participants are encouraged to think creatively and develop solutions that demonstrate innovation, feasibility, scalability, and real-world impact.

Who Can Participate?

Hack The Future 3.0 is open to students from colleges and universities across India.

Students from any academic branch or discipline can participate, including:

Engineering

Computer Science

Information Technology

Management

Design

Science

Commerce

Humanities

- Other academic disciplines

Developers, designers, AI/ML enthusiasts, cybersecurity enthusiasts, robotics builders, entrepreneurs, innovators, researchers, and problem-solvers are encouraged to participate.

Team Size

2–5 Members per Team

- Inter-college teams are allowed. - Inter-specialization and interdisciplinary teams are allowed. - Students from different colleges and academic backgrounds can form one team. - Each participant can be part of only one team.

Build a diverse team, combine your skills, and turn your idea into something meaningful.

Hackathon Format

Hack The Future 3.0 will be conducted in two rounds.

Round 1 – Online Screening Round

Mode: Online

Registration Fee: Free

Teams must register on Unstop and submit their project proposal/PPT before the deadline.

Round 1 PPT Submission Should Cover:

Problem Statement

Proposed Solution

Innovation / Uniqueness

Target Users

Technology / Technical Approach

Expected Impact

Feasibility

Scalability

Product / Startup Potential

Round 1 PPT Submission Deadline

16th September 2026 – 12:00 Midnight

Late submissions will not be accepted.

Round 1 Evaluation

Submissions will be evaluated based on:

Problem Understanding

Innovation

Feasibility

Technical Approach

Impact

Product Potential

Scalability

Presentation Quality

Round 1 Results

18th September 2026

Shortlisted teams will be announced through the official communication channels.

Final Round – 30-Hour Offline Hackathon

Dates: 25th–26th September 2026

Duration: 30 Hours

Mode: Offline

Venue: Tula's University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand

Shortlisted teams will participate in the final on-campus hackathon.

Teams will follow the journey:

IDEATE → BUILD → PROTOTYPE → TEST → VALIDATE → PITCH

Participants will develop and demonstrate a functional prototype or working solution during the final hackathon.

Teams may use appropriate technologies, frameworks, APIs, open-source libraries, datasets, and AI tools, subject to applicable licenses, terms, and event guidelines.

Free Accommodation & Food

To make the final hackathon experience convenient for participating teams:

Free Accommodation

Accommodation will be provided free of cost for participants during 25th–26th September 2026.

️ Free Food

Food will be provided free of cost during the final hackathon.

These facilities are intended to support participants throughout the 30-hour on-campus hackathon experience.

Further accommodation and food-related instructions will be communicated to shortlisted teams.

Final Round Confirmation & Payment

Shortlisted teams must confirm their participation by:

21st September 2026

Final Round Fee: ₹500 per participant

The final-round confirmation fee must be paid within the specified deadline to secure the team's participation in the offline hackathon.

Failure to complete the confirmation and payment process by the deadline may result in the team's slot being offered to another shortlisted team.

Problem Statements

Hack The Future 3.0 follows an Open Innovation Hackathon format.

Participants are not restricted to a fixed number of problem statements.

Teams can identify a relevant real-world problem and develop a solution aligned with any of the official hackathon tracks.

Participants are encouraged to focus on:

- Real-world problems - User needs -

Innovation

- Technical feasibility -

Scalability

- Social or business impact - Product potential

Your problem statement can come from your own observation, experience, industry, community, or imagination — as long as your solution creates meaningful value.

️ Judging Criteria

Final projects will be evaluated on:

Innovation & Creativity

Problem Understanding

Technical Implementation

Functionality & Execution

Impact & Relevance

Product Potential

Scalability

UI/UX & User Experience

Pitch & Presentation

The judging panel may determine the final weightage of individual criteria.

Prizes & Incubation Opportunities

₹1.65 Lakh Cash Prize Pool

1st Prize

₹65,000 Cash + ₹1.2 Lakh+ Incubation Support

2nd Prize

₹45,000 Cash + ₹1.2 Lakh+ Incubation Support

3rd Prize

₹35,000 Cash + ₹1.2 Lakh+ Incubation Support

4th Prize

₹10,000 Cash

5th Prize

₹10,000 Cash

Total Cash Prize Pool: ₹1,65,000

₹5 Lakh+ Prize & Incubation Value

The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Prize-winning teams will each receive incubation support valued at ₹1.2 Lakh+, in addition to their respective cash prizes.

This means:

1st Prize: ₹65,000 + ₹1.2 Lakh+ Worth of Incubation Support

2nd Prize: ₹45,000 + ₹1.2 Lakh+ Worth of Incubation Support

3rd Prize: ₹35,000 + ₹1.2 Lakh+ Worth of Incubation Support

Overall Prize + Incubation Value: ₹5 Lakh+

Additional Opportunities & Benefits

And that's not all.

The following benefits are additional to the ₹5 Lakh+ Prize & Incubation Value:

- Free Accommodation – 25th & 26th September - ️ Free Food during the final hackathon - .xyz Domain Opportunities -

Exclusive Hackathon Goodies

TTBIF Incubation Opportunities

IIT Roorkee TIDES Incubation Opportunities

- Internship Opportunities through Global Trading Technologies - Cybersecurity Ecosystem Opportunities through CSA - Mentorship and industry interaction - National-level networking - Expert jury interaction - Product and startup exposure - Additional partner-powered rewards and opportunities

Project → Product

Hack The Future 3.0 is designed for builders who don't want their ideas to remain just academic projects.

Bring your idea.

Build your solution.

Validate your product.

Pitch your vision.

And take your first step from PROJECT → PRODUCT.

BUILD. VALIDATE. PITCH.

TURN YOUR PROJECT INTO A PRODUCT.