70 Teams Compete in 24-Hour AI Hackathon at Chandigarh University
Chandigarh University hosted 'AI Nexus 2026', a 24-hour national-level hackathon themed 'AI for Intelligent Systems & Responsible Innovation', from July 7-8, 2026. The event brought together 70 teams from 43 higher educational institutions across 11 states and union territories, including Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, and Chandigarh. These teams were selected from over 650 initial applicants.
Winners and Prize Pool
The first prize was awarded to 'Fairsight AI' from Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology (TIET), Patiala. The second prize went to 'Vandalizers' from Chandigarh University, and the third prize to 'Rasta' from Amity University (Punjab). The total prize pool amounted to Rs 16.5 lakh, along with exclusive goodies.
Participating Institutions and International Experts
Notable participating institutions included Panjab University, SRM Institute of Science and Technology (Chennai), IIT Patna, Medhavi Skills University (Sikkim), JC Bose University of Science and Technology (Faridabad), The NorthCap University (Gurugram), and many others. The final evaluation round featured over 20 international experts from US-based organizations such as the University of Potomac, Mphasis Corporation USA, MSR Technology Group, Meta USA, Akamai Technologies LLC, and Amazon Web Services.
ByteHunt Competition and Expert Insights
The hackathon also included 'ByteHunt', an AI-powered technical treasure hunt with 20 teams from Chandigarh University. The winners were 'Runtime Error' (first), 'Ascenters' (second), and 'Trishul' (third). Deepinder Singh Sandhu, Senior Managing Director of Chandigarh University, stated, 'Chandigarh University nurtures next-generation leaders in emerging domains with its research-intensive, innovation-driven and unique experiential learning model.' He emphasized the need to bridge the skill gap in emerging technologies through platforms like AI Nexus 2026.
University's AI Mission and Vision
Prof. (Dr.) Raviraja N. Seetharam, Vice-Chancellor of Chandigarh University, highlighted the institution's AI Mission, which includes seven different missions and 21 initiatives covering teaching, learning, research, internationalization, societal impact, and campus operations. He noted, 'Research, innovation and entrepreneurship are in the DNA of Chandigarh University and we prepare leaders of tomorrow by imparting inspirational knowledge to the students.' The hackathon was technically sponsored by SAS and aligned with the AI DevSummit.
