ET Gen AI Hackathon
Economic Times
ET Gen AI Hackathon: Stages and Timelines
Phase 1: Online Qualifier – MCQ
Participants will first attempt a GenAI-focused MCQ assessment and, immediately after completing it, submit their initial idea aligned with the given problem themes. Shortlisting for the next round will be based on the assessment scores as well as the relevance and clarity of the submitted idea.
Phase 1: Online Qualifier – Idea Submission
After completing the GenAI-focused MCQ assessment, participants must now submit their initial idea aligned with the given problem themes. This submission will be evaluated based on the clarity, relevance, and potential of the idea, and will be used for shortlisting teams for the next stage.
Phase 2: Prototype Submission
Teams will build a functional prototype of their idea, complete with architecture, code, and a demo video. Submissions will be evaluated on innovation, execution quality, and impact, with the strongest entries moving on to the Online Build Marathon.
Phase 3: MVP Build Sprint
In Phase III, the top 50 teams will be shortlisted and invited to further refine their ideas and develop a Minimum Viable Product (MVP).
Phase 4: Grand Finale
During the Grand Finale, the top 10 shortlisted teams will present their ideas and demonstrate their prototypes before the Jury Panel, who will determine the final winners.
All that you need to know about ET Gen AI Hackathon
The ET Gen AI Hackathon, in partnership with Unstop, is a nation-scale innovation challenge designed to discover and celebrate India’s brightest emerging AI talent. This flagship competition brings students together to solve real-world GenAI problem statements across business innovation, social impact, and open innovation domains.
Across a multi-phase journey - beginning with an online GenAI assessment, moving into an intensive prototype build marathon, and culminating in a high-energy offline grand finale - participants ideate, innovate, and present transformative AI solutions. With expert mentorship, structured evaluation, and massive national visibility, the hackathon aims to accelerate India’s GenAI ecosystem.
This is the platform where students turn ideas into impactful solutions and establish themselves as the next generation of AI leaders.
Read more details - https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/et-ai-hackathon
Eligibility Criteria:
- Open to participants across India - students, professionals, and AI enthusiasts.
- Participants must register in teams of 1-4 members.
- Cross-college, cross-discipline, and mixed-background teams are fully allowed.
- Ideal for passionate innovators, designers, developers, and problem-solvers eager to build real GenAI solutions.
- Each participant may join only one team.
Rules and Guidelines:
- Team formation must be completed within the registration window.
- 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 unauthorised third-party material will lead to immediate disqualification.
- Participants may use open-source tools, libraries, and models.
- Licensed tools/datasets may be used only if the participant/team has valid authorisation.
- All decisions in the matter of eligibility, authenticity & final judgment will be with Unstop and ET.
Judging Criteria:
- Solutions will be evaluated on:
- Innovation & Creativity
- Technical Implementation
- Feasibility & Scalability
- Relevance to the Problem Statement
- Documentation & Presentation Quality
Final Authority:
- Jury decisions are final and binding.
- Organizers reserve the right to modify rules, guidelines, or timelines if required.
Rewards & Prizes:
- The Winners from the Grand Finale will win a grand prize of INR 5,00,000.
- The First Runners-Up Team will win a cash prize of INR 3,00,000.
- The Second Runners-Up Team will win a cash prize of INR 2,00,000.
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Top performers unlock PPIs, internship, and job opportunities with leading global AI-first tech companies.
- All participants receive an official Certificate of Participation from The Economic Times, top 3 teams per college earn a Certificate of Merit, and finalists and winners gain national-level recognition across ET platforms and media.
- Chance to network with experts, founders, and AI practitioners.
Important dates & deadlines?
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13 Feb'26, 11:59 PM IST Registration Deadline
Rewards and Prizes?
Winner
The Winners from the Grand Finale will win a grand prize of INR 5,00,000.
First Runners-Up
The First Runners-Up Team will win a cash prize of INR 3,00,000.
2nd Runners-Up
The Second Runners-Up Team will win a cash prize of INR 2,00,000.
Career Opportunities
Top-performing candidates will get the opportunity to secure Pre-Placement Interviews (PPIs), internships and Jobs from global AI-First tech companies.
Finalists
Chance to network with experts, founders, and AI practitioners and Opportunity to present ideas to industry leaders, hiring teams, and innovators.
Certificates & Recognition
Every participant who completes the hackathon will receive an official Certificate of Participation. The top 3 teams from each college will receive a Certificate of Merit, recognizing their outstanding performance at the institutional level. And finalists and winners gain national-level recognition across ET platforms and media.