The Smart India Hackathon 2024 Grand Finale, with an Agricultural Innovation Focus, is held at IIT Hyderabad
INN/Hyderabad, @Infodeaofficial
Today, the 7th Smart India Hackathon (SIH) – Software Edition grand finale was triumphantly launched by the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH). The event, which is being held at IITH for the first time and has as its theme “Agriculture,” is a component of a national program that spans 51 nodal centres and covers 17 themes.
About 200 participants and mentors from all over India, together with 26 teams, come together for the two-day finale on December 11–12, 2024. They will work together to create creative answers to four main problem statements:
- Mobile App for Direct Market Access for Farmers
- AI-Driven Crop Disease Prediction and Management System
- Sustainable Fertilizer Usage Optimizer for Higher Yield
- Assured Contract Farming System for Stable Market Access
Dharmendra Pradhan, the Union Minister for Education, virtually opened the event. Dr. Ch. Srinivasa Rao, Director of NAARM, Hyderabad, served as the Chief Guest at the local inaugural ceremony at IITH, while Dr. Shreenivas Desai, Professor and Nodal Officer, PPMC & ICAR, UAS Dharwad, was the Guest of Honour. At 4:30 PM on December 11, the Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the attendees via video conference.
The relevance of the hackathon was highlighted by Prof. B.S. Murty, Director of IIT Hyderabad, who said, “The Smart India Hackathon aligns the aspirations of India’s youth with the nation’s vision for Viksit Bharat 2047.” With agriculture as the main focus of IITH, this platform enables users to create creative solutions for an industry vital to India’s food security and economics.
NAARM Director Dr. Ch. Srinivasa Rao emphasised the value of agricultural technology, saying, “Agriculture is the backbone of the rural economy.” For the Viksit Bharat vision to be realised, this sector must receive the benefits of innovation and technology.
The SIH 2024 highlights IITH’s commitment to promoting innovation and entrepreneurship. It is led by Prof. B.S. Murty, Prof. C. Malla Reddy (Dean of Innovation, Translation, and Startups), and Dr. Phanindra Varma Jampana (FIC, E-Cell, IIT Hyderabad). The hackathon helps create a prosperous and independent India by addressing important agricultural issues.
However, Professor B. J. Rao, the vice chancellor of the University of Hyderabad, has praised the central government’s efforts to cultivate student potential, saying that they will help create a wealthy India, or Vikasith Bharat. In order to give students a stage on which to display their creative ideas and abilities, Vardhaman College in the Rangareddy area hosted the Smart India Hackathon, in which Professor Rao took part.
Manushree, the director of the National Council of Technology AICTE, stressed the significance of young people taking advantage of possibilities in the cutthroat world of today. Ravindra, the principal of Vardhman College, thanked the central government for giving them the chance to hold the Smart India Hackathon on a national scale. Principal Ravindra recognised the students’ excitement and gratitude for the project, which the college has been hosting for the third time in a row.