The idea of organizing a startup hackathon was conceptualized under the leadership of late Dr. Dhiraj Bora , ex honorable Vice Chanchellor, Assam Science and Technology University . The first ever Northeast Hackathon was organized by the Assam Science and Technology University on 2nd to 4th September 2019, under the TEQIP-III program of Ministry of HRD, Government of India, in association with Startup Assam. The three day event saw the Prof. Gottipolu Rajarami Reddy, former Vice Chancellor, Vikrama Simhapuri University, Nellore, as the chief guest, who applauded this initiative made by the authorities at ASTU, as defining and a key to unlocking the hidden potential of the youth of the region. Prof. Pran Hari Talukdar (of The Assam Royal Global University and former professor of Guwahati Unniversity) was a distinguished guest. Other guests included Mr. Siddhartha Chowdhury (Founder and CEO of Credence Management Solution, Washington DC), Prof. (Dr.) V. G. Gaikar (Bharat Petroleum Professor and Head, Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Chemical Engineering) was also a guest on the closing ceremony on the 4th September, along with all the above mentioned dignitaries.
A sporting activity full of brainstorming, the Hackathon consists of various workshops, competitions, expert training sessions etc. Participants were encouraged to take up a concept to solve the problem statements from one of the 5 focus areas, namely, Tourism, Food Technology, Textile and Handloom, Water Management, and Energy, Environment and Sustainability. One of the participants of this successful Hackathon 2019 believed that this initiative has been a very innovative in helping him, as well as many other budding entrepreneurs, to interact with like-minded people on a platform, that is aimed towards the economic growth of the region. He reiterated that the event was well-planned, and the participants had not been left wanting. With gap fillers like dance and song performances, their minds had been refreshed. The participant also said that although he had expected it to be a very hectic programme, the event was organised in such a manner that the all round health – physical, and mental, was kept in mind. There has been excellent feedback throughout and the authorities expect it to be bigger and better next year.
With over 90 teams and 500 participants, Hackathon 2019 has been a fully packed event. MTU KANGLEITRONIC, a team comprising of five students from Manipur Technical University, won the competition. They had presented a business plan on “Solar Power Cold Storage cum Food dryer”. Coincidentally, they were also rewarded the best disciplined team.
The second and third prizes were won by the teams from Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati (IIT-G) and Girijananda Chowdhury Institute of Management and Technology, Guwahati, respectively. These top three teams were rewarded in the form of prize money – Rs 1,50,000, Rs 75,000 and Rs 50,000 respectively.
