Smart India Hackathon (SIH) 2026 is already past its internal-round stage at most colleges. It launched on 21 August 2026, problem statements went to institutions on 25 August, colleges ran internal hackathons in September, and the national stage runs through October and November before a 36-hour grand finale in December. If your team was nominated, this is the evaluation phase. If you were not, your options are limited, and the sections below explain why.
The official SIH portal blocked automated access when this article was prepared, so dates and rules here come from Reskilll's SIH 2026 coverage, IGNOU's published SIH guidelines and reports on earlier editions. Verify everything with your college SPOC and on sih.gov.in.
What SIH is
SIH is run by the Ministry of Education's Innovation Cell (MIC) with AICTE. Ministries, departments, PSUs and industry partners submit real problem statements, and student teams build software or hardware solutions for them. It is a product-development competition, not a case study.
The 2026 timeline
- 21 August 2026: official launch, reported as announced by AICTE Chairman Prof. Yogesh Singh
- 25 August 2026: problem statements released to institutions for internal hackathons
- September 2026: institutions run internal hackathons and nominate teams
- October to November 2026: online evaluation, idea PPT screening and shortlisting of national finalists
- December 2026: 36-hour non-stop grand finale at nodal centres across India
The first release reportedly had 226 problem statements: 172 software and 54 hardware.
How a team gets to the national stage
- The college registers a SPOC on the SIH portal.
- Teams pick a problem statement from the official list.
- The college runs an internal hackathon, usually in September.
- The winning teams are nominated by the SPOC, and the idea is submitted on the portal, typically as a PPT.
- National evaluators shortlist teams for the grand finale.
IGNOU's SIH 2026 guidelines follow the same pattern: an internal hackathon in September, with students asked to choose a problem statement from the official list. Individuals cannot register directly.
Team rules
Reskilll reports the following team rules for 2026:
- exactly 6 student members from the same institution
- at least one female member
- members may come from different departments of the same institution
- teams can choose one or two faculty or industry mentors
The deadline for nominations is not confirmed. One aggregator lists 30 September 2026 as a last date, but nomination timing is set through the portal and your SPOC.
What the finale looks like
Recent editions give a good picture. The SIH 2025 software finale was a 36-hour event inaugurated on 8 December 2025 and hosted at national nodal centres. One college report counts 60 national nodal centres, with teams assigned to problem statements and judged by panels of jury members across two days. SIH 2024 had 186 software and 68 hardware problem statements, and its finale ran from 11 to 15 December 2024.
Prizes
Prize amounts for 2026 were not confirmed in the sources checked. A Delhi NCR roundup lists up to ₹1,00,000 per problem statement, in line with earlier editions. Check the portal for the final figures.
If you were nominated
- Confirm your nomination status and the evaluation dates with your SPOC.
- Keep the idea PPT, prototype plan and problem statement ID consistent with what was submitted.
- Prepare for a 36-hour build. Decide roles now, since SIH teams have six members.
If you were not nominated
SIH has no direct entry. Ask your SPOC or head of department whether any nomination window is still open, and look for other events running in the same weeks. The Brabble calendar of hackathons for October to December 2026 lists confirmed options. Brabble's SIH guide, SIH eligibility post and problem statement selection post cover the rules and strategy in more depth.