Startup & AI Hackathon · Pan-India · Hyderabad finale
Edition 2026
Think Beyond Code.
Build Beyond Ideas.
₹299 + ₹6 fee per participant · teams of 2–5
Online round · December 5, 2026
§ 01The brief
A pan-India hackathon for people who would rather ship a product than describe one.
A pan-India startup and AI hackathon where teams turn real-world problems into working products using AI-powered development, modern tools and creative execution.
The challenge
Build a useful product, not just a presentation. Identify a genuine problem, create a solution, demonstrate what it does and explain how it could grow into a startup.
What makes it different
Use AI assistants and modern development tools throughout your workflow.
Teams may use AI-powered coding platforms and workflows.
Focus on user problems, product value, business potential and scalability.
Choose a track, or bring an idea from another domain through Open Innovation.
Learn from mentors and present your product to the judging panel.
The online round is open to teams from all Indian states and union territories.
Who should join
Builders, designers & founders-in-waiting.
§ 02The journey
Build from anywhere in India. Shortlisted teams meet in Hyderabad. Fifteen days from first commit to final pitch.
§ 02The journey
Build from anywhere in India. Shortlisted teams meet in Hyderabad. Fifteen days from first commit to final pitch.
Stop 01
Remote · anywhere in India
05–06
December 2026 · 48-hour online challenge
Teams work remotely through a 48-hour challenge window: pick a track, identify a problem, build or advance the solution, and submit through the official LOWKEY TECH Google Form.
₹299
per participant
Stop 02
Announced by the organisers
16
December 2026 · Qualified teams announced
Judges evaluate submissions against the published criteria. Organisers may request clarification or a project demonstration before the shortlist is announced.
No fee
Stop 03
Hyderabad, Telangana
19–20
December 2026 · 24-hour in-person build
Shortlisted teams come together for a 24-hour startup-building experience: continue building, receive mentorship, prepare final demonstrations and pitch to the judging panel.
Venue · Sri Sai Luxury Heaven Retreat
₹699
per participant · additional
Stop 01
Remote · anywhere in India
05–06
December 2026 · 48-hour online challenge
Teams work remotely through a 48-hour challenge window: pick a track, identify a problem, build or advance the solution, and submit through the official LOWKEY TECH Google Form.
₹299
per participant
Stop 02
Announced by the organisers
16
December 2026 · Qualified teams announced
Judges evaluate submissions against the published criteria. Organisers may request clarification or a project demonstration before the shortlist is announced.
No fee
Stop 03
Hyderabad, Telangana
19–20
December 2026 · 24-hour in-person build
Shortlisted teams come together for a 24-hour startup-building experience: continue building, receive mentorship, prepare final demonstrations and pitch to the judging panel.
Venue · Sri Sai Luxury Heaven Retreat
₹699
per participant · additional
§ 03Tracks
Healthcare access, care coordination, health operations and patient support.
Financial inclusion, payments, budgeting, fraud awareness and smarter finance.
Urban mobility, waste, water, energy and sustainable communities.
Personalised learning, education access, skills and student productivity.
Tools for farmers, rural services, supply chains and local economies.
Privacy, security awareness, safer digital services and cyber resilience.
AI agents, workflow automation, productivity and tools for businesses.
Any other domain where a team can demonstrate a genuine problem and a useful solution.
The open challenge
Build Your Own AI-Powered Startup.
Identify a real-world problem and develop an innovative, functional solution. Teams are not restricted to a single prescribed problem statement — choose one of the tracks or use Open Innovation.
§ 04Judging
25%
Criterion 01 / 06
What judges look for
Meaningful use of AI in ideation, research, design, coding and development.
The same criteria apply to the online round and the finale. Shortlisting follows the organisers’ evaluation process; organisers may request clarification or a demonstration, and selection decisions are final.
§ 05The grand finale
Shortlisted teams come together for a 24-hour startup-building experience: continue building, receive mentorship, prepare final demonstrations and pitch to the judging panel.
17.3850° N · 78.4867° E
11:00 — 13:00
Arrival & inauguration
Sat · Dec 19
Planned run-of-show · Dec 19, 11:00 → Dec 20, 11:00
11:00 — 13:00
Registration, ID verification, welcome kits, inauguration and a guest talk on AI, startups and entrepreneurship.
13:00 — 15:00
Challenge briefing, rules and judging criteria, lunch, then team planning and problem validation.
15:00 — 23:00
Build sprints with mentor office hours and technical mentoring, a progress checkpoint and dinner.
23:00 — 05:00
Overnight refreshments, AI integration, coding and debugging, a final development sprint.
05:00 — 06:30
Testing, pitch deck and demo preparation, and final project submissions.
06:30 — 09:30
Preliminary judging by parallel panels, finalists announced, finalist pitches and live demos.
09:30 — 11:00
Results and announcements, certificates and recognition, closing ceremony.
This is the organisers’ planned arc and may be refined. The detailed run-of-show is shared separately with shortlisted teams. Mentor hours extend up to 11:00 on the final day.
On the ground
Bring with you
Accommodation
Regular student accommodation is not provided. In an emergency, the organising team may try to arrange temporary assistance, subject to availability. Please plan your own travel and stay.
§ 06Recognition
Up to
₹1,00,000
Prize money of up to ₹1,00,000 is planned. The final prize pool, distribution, winner categories and any additional rewards will be announced after sponsorships are finalised.
Certificates
Online-round participants are eligible for an official digital participation certificate (E-Certificate), subject to participation and submission requirements.
Offline participants are eligible for an official event participation certificate, subject to attendance and event requirements.
Internships
Internship opportunities may be offered to eligible and outstanding participants from both rounds, subject to performance, evaluation, partner availability and selection processes. Internships are not guaranteed.
Possible categories — final categories are subject to organiser and sponsor confirmation.
§ 07Passes
Team size
Teams of 2–5 · solo entries are not allowed.
Round 01 · 48-hour online challenge
Nº 01
Per participant
₹299
+ ₹6 platform fee
Team of 4
₹1,220
Per participant + ₹6 Festora platform fee · paid at registration.
Admit
4
Dec 05–06 · Online
Round 02 · Shortlisted teams
Nº 02
Per participant
₹699
Team of 4
₹2,796
Per participant · additional fee for shortlisted participants attending offline.
Admit
4
Dec 19–20 · Hyderabad
Register on Festora.
Pay securely with UPI, cards or netbanking via Razorpay. Each member receives a personal QR ticket by email the moment payment is verified.
Before you pay
§ 08Questions
Yes. Teams from all Indian states and union territories can join the online round. Shortlisted teams must attend the offline finale in Hyderabad.
Students, aspiring founders and developers from anywhere in India.
No. Solo registrations are not allowed — register as a team of 2–5 members. Two-member teams are permitted.
Yes. Choose one of the listed tracks or use Open Innovation, provided your project addresses a genuine problem.
Yes. Vibe Coding, AI coding assistants, AI agents and other AI-powered development tools are permitted — declare their use in your AI usage declaration.
Yes. Teams may use paid tools, external APIs and third-party platforms. Any related costs are the team’s responsibility.
Team and project details, selected track, problem statement, proposed solution, project document, an English presentation video, available repository/demo links and an AI usage declaration.
Submit through the official LOWKEY TECH Google Form — the organisers will share its link. LinkedIn posting or tagging is not required, and LinkedIn posts are not official submissions.
English.
December 19–20, 2026 in Hyderabad, at Sri Sai Luxury Heaven Retreat. The exact address and on-ground reporting instructions are shared with shortlisted teams.
The ₹699 per-person fee covers participation, workspace, Wi-Fi, meals, snacks, refreshments, certificate, goodies, mentorship and networking opportunities, subject to the final event arrangements.
No regular student accommodation is provided. Emergency assistance may be arranged subject to availability.
₹299 per participant for Round 1. It does not include the finale — shortlisted participants attending in person pay an additional ₹699 per person.
No. Registration fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.
Prize Pool: TBA. Prize money of up to ₹1,00,000 is planned; final details follow sponsor finalisation. It is not a confirmed guaranteed award.
Not by default. External sharing or promotional use of identifiable participant content requires explicit consent.
§ 09 — See you at the start line
₹299 + ₹6 fee / participant · Online round Dec 5–6
Talk to the organisers
Official guides
The Google Form link, deadlines, shortlist, venue instructions and updates come through official LOWKEY TECH communications. If information changes, the latest official organiser announcement applies.
