AASHAV
"Build what tomorrow needs."
A National-grade inter-college hybrid hackathon solving real-world high-impact problem statements.
WHY AASHAV?
"Not just another hackathon. A proving ground for real-world technical innovation."
Engineered at SIMATS School of Engineering to bridge academic learning with competitive technical execution.
Aashav (Meaning "The hope") was conceived to solve a systemic gap in traditional student hackathons: the reliance on generic surface-level prototypes.
By leveraging authentic high-impact national & industry problem statements, Aashav provides student teams with an invaluable opportunity to understand complex problem statements, construct resilient system architectures, and deliver pitch-ready technical implementations.
Whether participating online or on-campus at SIMATS School of Engineering, your team will undergo rigorous evaluations designed to simulate national-level hackathon pressure.
Both Software & Hardware tracks are fully supported. Teams building physical hardware prototypes (IoT, embedded systems, robotics, smart sensor networks) and software applications (AI/ML, Web, Mobile, Cloud, GIS) compete under tailored evaluation rubrics focusing on technical depth, execution completeness, and architectural defense.
Teams are also strongly encouraged to bring their own problem statements, as long as the proposed challenge is meaningful, addresses a real-world civic or industry problem, and presents genuine technical depth.
All solutions will be rigorously evaluated by technical jury panels across multiple key metrics including completeness, real-world impact, usability, and technical feasibility.
REAL PROBLEMS
Problem statements adapted from real-world industry and civic challenges, ensuring authentic engineering relevance.
INDUSTRY THINKING
Move beyond toy applications. Architect scalable, production-ready solutions evaluated on code quality and technical depth.
RAPID BUILDING
Experience high-intensity development under strict timed constraints mirroring national competition pressure.
SOLO OR TEAMWORK
Participate solo or form 1–4 member teams to build and defend your technical solution before jury panels.
NATIONAL PREPARATION
Gain tactical experience presenting to technical panels and defending architectural choices prior to major national challenges.
CHOOSE THE PROBLEM
YOU WANT TO SOLVE.
Choose from the problem statements below or bring your own
We welcome custom real-world problem statements!
SOFTWARE TRACK
AI/ML, Web, Mobile, Cloud, GIS & Data Analytics
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE SYSTEM
Develop an intelligent disaster preparedness and response platform integrating real-time hazard monitoring, AI-based risk prediction, evacuation planning, resource coordination, and emergency communication to enhance public safety and enable rapid disaster response.
SMART TOURIST SAFETY MONITORING & INCIDENT RESPONSE SYSTEM USING AI AND GEO-FENCING
Develop an AI-powered tourist safety platform integrating real-time geo-fencing, emergency incident detection, live location sharing, and automated alert mechanisms to enhance traveler safety and enable rapid emergency response.
AI-POWERED PRECISE TRAIN TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM
Design an AI-driven railway traffic management system utilizing predictive scheduling, real-time train tracking, conflict detection, and route optimization algorithms to maximize section throughput while improving operational safety and efficiency.
HARDWARE TRACK
IoT, Embedded Systems, Robotics, Sensors & Microgrids
INTELLIGENT PESTICIDE SPRINKLING SYSTEM
Develop a low-cost intelligent pesticide sprinkling system integrating computer vision, HSV color thresholding, and precision spray actuators to detect plant leaf infection severity and automatically apply proportional pesticide dosage while minimizing chemical overuse without requiring machine learning models.
ECHOLOCATE — INDOOR NAVIGATION FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED USING ULTRASONIC MESH
Develop a wearable indoor navigation system integrating ultrasonic ranging sensors, inertial motion tracking, and haptic feedback actuators to assist visually impaired users in safely navigating complex indoor environments without GPS or beacon-based infrastructure.
SMART HELMET FOR MINE WORKER SAFETY MONITORING
Engineer a rugged smart safety helmet featuring multi-gas sensors, temperature monitoring, impact detection, and wireless telemetry to continuously monitor underground mine conditions and instantly alert control centers during hazardous incidents.
EXECUTION TIMELINE
Signal path tracking from team registration to the Valedictory Ceremony on 29 August 2026.
The event timeline has been updated in the interest of participants registering from far away colleges and institutions. Registration will now close on 24th August 2026 at 12:00 PM.
Shortlisted teams will be announced on or before 25th Aug, 12:00 PM (circulated in groups & emailed to team leaders). All selected teams must confirm participation before 25th Aug, 10:00 PM. We regret any inconvenience caused.
EMINENT INDUSTRY LEADERS & JURY
Meet our distinguished chief guests and technical evaluators bringing industry benchmark standards and expert guidance to Aashav 2026.
Ananth Krishna S
Project Manager — Engineering
Kellogg Brown and Root (KBR)
IET Executive Member, Chennai Local Network
Engineering and project management leader with over 18 years of experience executing high-value international energy, oil & gas, and infrastructure projects across global giants including BP, Exxon, and Saudi Aramco. Chartered Engineer (UK) dedicated to mentoring future engineering talent.
Kadiyala Vaisshnavi
Manager — Active Safety & ADAS Team
Daimler India Commercial Vehicles
YP Secretary, IET Chennai | YP Member, IET Bangalore
Innovation-driven ADAS and Active Safety engineering manager at Daimler India specializing in autonomous safety systems, electric vehicle infrastructure, and smart IoT automation. Published IEEE researcher and recipient of the Best Women Engineer Award.
WHERE HOPE BEGINS
Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
6 PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS & TROPHIES
Celebrating extraordinary engineering brilliance at Aashav 2026. A total of 6 awards will be presented on stage at the Valedictory Ceremony: honoring 5 winning teams with official Trophies, Medals & Certificates, and conferring the Honorary Trophy to the college with the highest student participation.
OVERALL WINNER
Grand Champion Trophy & Medals
The pinnacle honor of Aashav 2026. Conferred upon the team displaying unparalleled technical excellence, groundbreaking innovation, architecture robustness, and defense rigor.
FIRST RUNNER-UP
Runner-Up Trophy & Medals
Awarded to the second-highest scoring team for outstanding engineering depth, scalable architecture, clean codebase execution, and exceptional presentation delivery.
NEXT 3 POSITIONS
3 Dedicated Position Trophies
Three distinct trophies awarded to the standout teams securing 3rd, 4th, and 5th positions who demonstrated exceptional domain problem-solving and prototype delivery.
HONORARY AWARD
Maximum Participation Trophy
Special Honorary Institution Trophy presented to the college or university sending the largest delegation of passionate student builders and competing teams to Aashav 2026.
COMMEMORATIVE MEDALS OF EXCELLENCE
Conferred individually upon every student member of the 5 winning teams.
In addition to the prestigious team trophies, all individual team members across the top 5 winning teams will be honored on stage with custom-cast Aashav Medals of Honor during the Valedictory Ceremony.
Official Participation Certificates For All Qualified Teams
Every team that presents their solution during the hybrid evaluation round on 29 August 2026 will receive official signed participation certificates from SIMATS School of Engineering.
NEED ANSWERS?
Talk to the Aashav team.
Have questions regarding registration eligibility, hybrid participation, problem statements, or venue? Reach out directly to our Head Coordinator or Faculty Coordinator.
S Tanveer Muhammed
Dr Mahaboob Basha
CLEARING ALL DOUBTS
Everything you need to know about team constraints, selection rules, and event logistics for Aashav 2026.