GITAM SmartIDEAthon 2023 Finals in Hyderabad on Aug 24-25

Hyderabad, August 23, 2023: Garnering submissions from top varsities and colleges in India, the 2023 edition of the GITAM SmartIDEAthon — organized by and held at GITAM (Deemed To Be University) in collaboration with Startup India and Northeastern University Center for Emerging Markets (CEM) and Northeastern University Center for Entrepreneurship Education (NUCEE), Boston — is set to host its grand finale on August 24-25 in Hyderabad. 

The annual nationwide student pitchfest has received ideas across four themes: Food & Health, Toys for STEM, Sustainable Fashion and Frugal Innovation.  
“The submissions showcase a wide spectrum of innovations. Student innovators seem to strongly favor the theme ‘Frugal Innovation’ with 489 applications exploring cost-effective solutions. Under the Food & Health category, we received 310 applications. 134 applications under Sustainable Fashion, and 76 applications under Toys for S.T.E.M.” said Sreedevi Devireddy, Director, Venture Development Centre, GITAM (Deemed To Be University). 

GITAM SmartIDEAthon - 2023 showcases a diverse pool of participants from top colleges and universities across India. The demographics of participants represent a wide geographical spread, with states like Tamil Nadu (206), Telangana (130), Andhra Pradesh (108), and Karnataka (101) being prominently represented among the 1009 total applications.

Emphasizing the event's core focus on fostering collaborations and providing a nurturing platform to aspiring students, Krish Nangegadda, Chief Innovation Officer at GITAM (Deemed to be University), stated, "SmartIDEAthon aims to be more than just an innovation showcase; it endeavors to promote collaboration and networking among young minds. We are grateful for the invaluable support from esteemed partners like Startup India and Northeastern University, Boston, besides sponsorships from reputable businesses, which has been instrumental in making this event possible."

SmartIDEAthon, a platform for Indian undergraduate and postgraduate student innovators to showcase their entrepreneurial prowess, has unveiled its title sponsor, CtrlS - a leading provider of data center and cloud solutions, ensuring secure and reliable IT operations.

The SmartIDEAthon 2023 competition features an impressive array of innovative ideas, including a groundbreaking energy conversion innovation, transforming thermal heat into electrical energy, and a sustainable fashion prototype, comprising comfortable clothes made from a blend of banana, bamboo, and other eco-friendly fabrics. Advancing to the next competition stage are remarkable concepts like the 'World's first fastest and smallest self-aware coconut harvesting robot,' as well as captivating innovations like the 'plant-based battery' and 'heat-powered air blower.' Notably, the top 32 contenders include students from prestigious universities from the length and breadth of India. Reflecting on the diversity of applications, Balkumar Marthi, Dean - Innovation, expressed, "The level of creativity and enthusiasm displayed by the students in this year's SmartIDEAthon is truly remarkable. We are thrilled to witness the caliber of ideas pouring in from top educational institutions across the country."