About VYOM Edition 1 (2026–27) VYOM Edition 1 (2026–27) is a premier National-Level Hardware + Software Hackathon cum Project Expo organized by Government College of Engineering, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (GECCS) in association with the Center of Excellence (CoE) – TSSIP and the Ankur Incubation Center Foundation (AICF). Designed to bridge academic theory with industrial execution, VYOM challenges student innovators across the nation to build scalable hardware prototypes, robust software architectures, or integrated hybrid solutions across 10 specialized technology domains. Eligibility & Team Formation Guidelines
Eligible Participants: Open to all undergraduate and postgraduate engineering, technology, and science students currently enrolled in any recognized institute or university across India.
Team Size: 2 to 5 members per team (including one designated Team Leader). Individual participation is not permitted.
Inter-College Teams: Allowed. Students from different colleges or universities can collaborate and form a team. Inter-Specialization /
Inter-Department Teams: Allowed and strongly encouraged. Students from different engineering branches (e.g., ENTC, CSE, Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, AI/DS) and different academic years can form a single team, especially for hybrid Hardware + Software solutions.
One Team Per Participant: A student can be a member of only one team. Multiple registrations by the same individual across different teams will lead to disqualification.
Valid Identification: All team members must possess a valid college photo ID card for verification during screening and offline participation. Competition Tracks & 10 Innovation Domains Teams may participate in the Hardware Track, the Software Track, or combine both Hardware and Software to build an integrated hybrid project. Hardware Innovation Track (4
Domains) Domain 1: Robotics, Drones & Autonomous Systems
Domain 2: IoT, Embedded Systems & Smart Edge Devices
Domain 3: Clean Energy, EV Tech & Sustainable Hardware
Domain 4: Industrial Automation, Mechatronics & Smart Manufacturing Software Innovation Track (6
Domains) Domain 5: Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning & Computer Vision
Domain 6: FinTech, Blockchain & Cybersecurity
Domain 7: HealthTech, MedTech & Assistive Digital Solutions
Domain 8: AgriTech, Rural Innovation & Smart Cities
Domain 9: EdTech, SaaS & Developer Productivity Tools
Domain 10: Open Innovation & Next-Gen Cloud/Web Platforms Number of
Venue
GOVERNMENT COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, AURANGABAD, CHHATRAPATI SAMBHAJINAGAR (GECCS) MAHARASHTRA)
Aurangabad, India
Problem Statements: 10 Thematic Domain Tracks + Open Innovation. Teams can either address real-world industrial challenges aligned with any of the 10 specified domains or propose an original problem statement under their selected domain. Competition Process, Format & Duration of Rounds VYOM Edition 1 follows a structured 3-Phase / 3-Round format:
Round 1: Idea & Proposal
Submission (Online) Duration: 2 November 2026 – 25 November 2026 (Submission window open 24x7 until deadline). Registration Fee for
Round 1: 100% Free.
Format & Deliverables: Teams register online, select their primary domain (Hardware, Software, or Hybrid), and submit a structured project proposal/abstract (PDF/PPT format) using the official template. The submission must cover the problem statement, proposed technical architecture, block diagram/workflow, component/tech-stack list, feasibility, and expected real-world impact.
Shortlisting: Proposals are evaluated by domain experts on novelty, technical feasibility, and societal/industrial relevance.
Round 2: Prototype Preparation, Mentorship & Virtual
Screening (Online) Duration: 1 December 2026 – 17 December 2026 (2.5-week preparation and mentoring window, culminating in a 10–15 minute live virtual screening session per team). Registration Fee for
Round 2: 100% Free.
Format & Deliverables: Shortlisted teams from Round 1 refine their designs and build an initial Proof-of-Concept (PoC), simulation, CAD/circuit model, or early software build. Each team presents their progress live via video conferencing before an expert screening panel (7-minute demonstration + 5-minute Q&A).
Finalist Selection: Top-performing teams across all 10 domains are shortlisted for the Grand Finale at the GECCS campus.
Round 3: On-Campus Grand Finale — 16-Hour Buildathon & Project
Expo (Offline) Venue: Government College of Engineering, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (GECCS Campus). Registration Fee for Round 3
Finalists: ₹500 per team (Applicable only to shortlisted teams qualifying for the offline Round 3 Grand Finale).
Duration: 16-Hour Continuous Buildathon Sprint followed by a Full-Day Live Project Expo & Final Jury Pitch.
Software Track Format: Teams engage in an intensive 16-hour on-campus coding sprint to build, integrate, and deploy their working application, followed by live demonstration and code review. Hardware & Hybrid
Track Format: Teams utilize the pre-finale fabrication window (18 December – 31 December 2026) to assemble core hardware rigs and use the 16-hour on-campus window for