“Through the ‘SAMVED 2026’ Smart Governance Hackathon, we have received several innovative and practical solutions to urban challenges faced by the city. We will take proactive steps to implement these ideas and strengthen civic services,” said Solapur Mayor Vinayak Kondyal.
He was speaking at the project exhibition and prize distribution ceremony of the ‘SAMVED 2026’ Smart Governance Hackathon, organised by MIT Vishwaprayag University in collaboration with the Solapur Municipal Corporation. This national-level initiative witnessed enthusiastic participation from students across higher education institutions, colleges, and universities from across the country. The event marked a significant step toward identifying innovative solutions for urban issues in Solapur.
The finalist teams presented their projects on April 15, followed by a grand exhibition on April 16 at the university campus. The exhibition and prize distribution ceremony were held in the presence of Mayor Vinayak Kondyal, Municipal Commissioner Dr Sachin Ombase, Achyut Godbole, Prof Krishna Vedula, Prof William Oakes, Vice-Chancellor Prof Gopalkrishna Joshi and Director Raghavendra M Chate.
Ombase said, “We welcome the solutions and ideas proposed by students for addressing urban challenges. We will peruse them and, over the next six months to one year, transform these ideas into real-world pilot projects. The municipal corporation will provide necessary financial, infrastructural, and human support. Additionally, students will be offered six-month internship opportunities.”
Joshi added, “As a university, we are here to transform youth into problem-solvers. Hackathons are one of the most effective ways to engage Gen-Z in solving real-world problems. The quality and innovation demonstrated by students in this hackathon are truly remarkable. Such initiatives help develop not only technical skills but also a practical problem-solving mindset.”
The event was attended by Deputy Municipal Commissioner Ashish Lokare, Registrar Pranesh Murnal, Dr Prabha Kasliwal, Dr Darshan Ruikar, Dr Anand Shimpi, along with administrative officials, industry experts, academic leaders, participating teams, mentors, and a large number of students.
The hackathon focused on key urban challenges identified by the Solapur Municipal Corporation, including traffic and parking management, road conditions, water distribution, sanitation worker safety, and data-driven public health management. Students presented technology-driven, practical, and impactful solutions.
The event saw participation from over 2,700 students across 10 states, with 546 teams registered. After expert evaluation, 75 teams were shortlisted and provided mentorship to develop prototypes, and 25 teams advanced to the final round.
Team Aquabyte from RV College of Engineering, Bengaluru, won the first prize of ₹2,00,000, while Team Supernova from SIES Graduate School of Technology, Navi Mumbai, secured the second prize of ₹1,00,000. Consolation prizes of ₹50,000 each were awarded to Team IOTians (Agnel Charities Fr. C. Rodrigues Institute of Technology, Navi Mumbai), Team Kilobyte (NIIT University, Rajasthan), and Team Hydro-Ops (KLE Technological University, Hubballi). The Special Jury Award of ₹25,000 was given to Team God-Damn from KLE Technological University, Hubballi.
A key highlight of the hackathon was the interdisciplinary participation of students, continuous mentorship from academic and industry experts, and problem statements based on real urban challenges. A MATLAB workshop conducted by MathWorks experts significantly enhanced students’ technical capabilities and prototype development skills.
‘SAMVED 2026’ stands as a strong example of effective collaboration between government, academia, and industry, paving the way for smart and sustainable urban development through student-driven innovation.
