The ET AI Hackathon 2.0, in partnership with Unstop, is a nation-scale innovation challenge designed to discover and celebrate India’s brightest emerging AI talent. Building on the success of its first edition, this flagship platform brings together the country’s sharpest minds to solve real-world AI problem statements across business innovation, social impact, and open innovation domains.

Across a multi-phase journey, beginning with an online AI assessment, advancing into an intensive prototype build sprint, and culminating in a high-energy grand finale, participants ideate, innovate, and present transformative AI solutions.

ET AI Hackathon 2.0 is where ideas evolve into impactful products, and where the next generation of AI leaders takes shape.

Read more details - https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/et-ai-hackathon/2nd-edition

Eligibility Criteria:

• Open to students, professionals, and AI enthusiasts across India.
• Participation allowed individually or in teams of 1-4 members
• Cross-college, cross-discipline, and cross-year teams are allowed
• Ideal for developers, designers, and product thinkers building AI solutions
• Each participant can be part of only one team

Rules and Guidelines:

• Team formation must be completed before the Phase 1 assessment
• No changes to team members will be allowed after the deadline
• All ideas, code, documents, and assets must be original and created during the hackathon
• Plagiarism, use of pre-built projects, or unauthorized third-party material will lead to disqualification
• All submissions must be made via the Unstop platform within the given timelines
• Licensed tools/datasets may be used only with valid authorization
• Participants must ensure all submission links (GitHub, demo, docs) are public and accessible
• Participants are expected to maintain professional and ethical conduct throughout the hackathon

Judging Criteria:

Prototypes will be evaluated based on:

• Relevance to Problem Statement – How effectively the solution addresses the chosen problem
• Innovation & Creativity – Originality and problem-solving approach
• Technical Implementation – Quality of architecture, code, and use of AI
• Business Viability – Practicality and real-world applicability
• Presentation & Clarity – Effectiveness of demo, pitch, and communication
• Impact & Scalability – Potential to create meaningful impact at scale
• Final Authority:
• All decisions made by the jury will be final and binding
• The organisers reserve the right to modify rules, guidelines, or timelines if required

Rewards & Prizes:

• Prize Pool ₹10,00,000
• Winner - ₹5,00,000
• 1st Runner-Up - ₹3,00,000
• 2nd Runner-Up - ₹2,00,000

Beyond the prize money

1. Chance to get PPIs + job & internship opportunities with leading AI-first companies
2. Certificate of Participation for all participants who successfully submit in Phase 2
3. National recognition across ET platforms for finalists and winners
4. Direct access to industry experts, founders, and AI practitioners
   

Your Hackathon Journey:

1. Register on Unstop - Sign up and secure your spot. 
2. Form your team - Build a team of 1-4 members with complementary skills.
3. Complete the MCQ assessment - Attempt an AI-proctored assessment to test your foundational knowledge.
4. Get shortlisted for Phase 2 - Qualified teams are shortlisted based on MCQ scores and notified on the platform.
5. Pick your problem statement - Choose from real-world AI challenges revealed at the start of Phase 2.
6. Build & submit your prototype - Develop your AI solution and submit via Unstop before the deadline.
7. Final shortlist announced - Top submissions are evaluated and shortlisted for the Grand Finale.
8. Present at the Grand Finale - Pitch your solution to an industry jury and compete for ₹10 Lakh+ in prizes.