Arbiter Hacks V1 — ₹27,600 Online ML & AI Hackathon
Arbiter Hacks V1 is a fully online hackathon from Arbiter with a ₹27,600 (a $300 pool) prize fund, open to beginners and experienced builders worldwide, including India. Build any project you like with a Machine Learning or AI focus.
- Funding amount
- ₹27,600 (competition)
- Funding type
- Competition
- Application deadline
- 15 Nov 2026
- Eligible stage
- Any stage
- Location
- Open to startups registered in India
Overview
Arbiter Hacks V1 is a virtual, open-ended hackathon run by Arbiter. Instead of handing participants a narrow brief, the organisers leave the problem choice entirely to the builder — the single steer is that Machine Learning and AI should sit at the centre of whatever gets built.
The event window opens on 14 September 2026 and closes on 15 November 2026. That gives entrants weeks rather than days to plan, prototype and submit their work, and because the whole thing happens remotely, there is no host city to travel to and no location requirement attached to taking part.
Registration and project submission are both handled on Devpost, where the hackathon has its own page: https://arbiter-hacks-v1.devpost.com/.
The hackathon is pitched deliberately at newcomers. Students, developers in the early part of their careers and first-time hackathon participants are all explicitly welcome, and experienced builders are free to enter as well.
The total prize fund is ₹27,600, described by the organisers as a $300 pool. No split by rank or category has been published.
Highlights
- Fully online hackathon organised by Arbiter and hosted on Devpost — no location requirement for participants.
- Open to anyone worldwide, including entrants from India; beginners are explicitly welcomed.
- Build any project you like, with Machine Learning and AI as the intended focus.
- Runs from 14 September 2026, with submissions closing on 15 November 2026.
- Prize fund of ₹27,600 (a $300 pool), with no rank-wise split published.
- Enter solo or as a team — team size is not specified in the published details.
Who can apply
Entry is open to everyone. Arbiter Hacks V1 places no country restriction on participants, so builders in India take part on exactly the same footing as everyone else. Nothing in the published rules sets an age, degree, employer or experience requirement.
The hackathon is aimed at a broad audience:
- Students and developers in the early stages of their careers
- Experienced builders looking for a short, self-directed project
- Complete beginners — the event is explicitly designed to be welcoming to first-timers
You can enter on your own or as part of a team. No cap on team size has been published. There is also no requirement for DPIIT recognition, MSME registration or an Indian registered entity.
Arbiter Hacks V1 — ₹27,600 Online ML & AI Hackathon is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.
- Eligible stage
- Any stage
- Location
- Open to startups registered in India
Deadline & timing
Applications for Arbiter Hacks V1 — ₹27,600 Online ML & AI Hackathon are open and the current deadline is 15 Nov 2026. Deadlines can change — always reconfirm on the official source before submitting.
What the funding covers
Arbiter Hacks V1 is a competition, not an investment programme. What participants compete for is prize money rather than equity or a repayable facility.
- Prize fund: ₹27,600 — described by the organisers as a $300 pool.
- No rank breakdown published — Arbiter has not said how the money is divided between first place, runners-up or any other category.
- No equity and nothing to repay — a hackathon prize does not dilute a builder's stake in anything they go on to create.
- No travel budget needed — the hackathon is fully online, so there are no venue, travel or accommodation costs involved in taking part.
Documents you’ll need
Before you apply to Arbiter Hacks V1 — ₹27,600 Online ML & AI Hackathon, keep the following documents ready:
- A pitch deck or short business plan describing the problem, product and traction
- Company registration documents and PAN
- Founder identification (PAN / Aadhaar) and brief profiles
- Recent financial statements or projections
- Product details — a demo, prototype or working link if available
Exact requirements are confirmed on the official application portal — treat this as a preparation checklist.
Who this is best for
Arbiter Hacks V1 — ₹27,600 Online ML & AI Hackathon is best suited for startups in India seeking non-dilutive funding of ₹27,600. If that describes your startup, review the eligibility criteria above before applying.
Frequently asked questions
How much prize money does Arbiter Hacks V1 offer?
The total prize fund is ₹27,600, which the organisers describe as a $300 pool. That is the full amount available across winners. Arbiter has not published a breakdown showing how much goes to first place, runners-up or any other category.
When does the hackathon run and when do submissions close?
The event window opens on 14 September 2026 and the submission deadline is 15 November 2026. That gives you about two months of build time, and everything is done remotely, so there is no schedule of in-person sessions to plan around.
Who is eligible to take part in Arbiter Hacks V1?
Anyone can enter. The organisers have not listed any restriction based on country, age, qualification, employment status or prior experience. The hackathon is pitched at beginners in particular, but students, early-career developers and seasoned builders are all welcome.
Can participants from India join Arbiter Hacks V1?
Yes. The hackathon is open worldwide and there is no geographic restriction, so Indian participants can register and submit on the same terms as entrants from anywhere else. Because it is fully virtual, nothing about the format requires travel.
What kind of project am I expected to build?
The brief is deliberately open-ended — you choose the problem and the project. The only stated steer is a focus on Machine Learning and AI, so a submission in that space fits the event best.
Does Arbiter Hacks V1 take equity or a stake in my project?
No. This is a competition with a cash prize fund of ₹27,600, not an investment programme. There is no equity component, no dilution of your stake and nothing to repay.
Do I need DPIIT recognition or MSME registration to apply?
No. Arbiter Hacks V1 does not ask for DPIIT recognition, MSME registration or any Indian corporate entity. It is a hackathon open to individuals and teams rather than a government or institutional funding scheme.
Can I enter Arbiter Hacks V1 as part of a team?
Yes. Both individual and team entries are allowed. The organisers have not published a maximum team size, so if you plan to build with others, treat the size as flexible until you confirm on the hackathon page.
How do I register and submit my project?
Both registration and project submission happen through Devpost, the platform hosting the hackathon. The official page is https://arbiter-hacks-v1.devpost.com/, and you should submit there before the 15 November 2026 deadline.
Is Arbiter Hacks V1 suitable for a first-time hackathon participant?
Yes — it is designed with beginners in mind. The open-ended format means you can pick a project at whatever scale you are comfortable with, and the two-month window from 14 September to 15 November 2026 gives first-timers room to learn as they build.
What is the application deadline for Arbiter Hacks V1 — ₹27,600 Online ML & AI Hackathon?
The application deadline for Arbiter Hacks V1 — ₹27,600 Online ML & AI Hackathon is 15 Nov 2026. Deadlines can be revised, so reconfirm on the official source before applying.
How do I apply for Arbiter Hacks V1 — ₹27,600 Online ML & AI Hackathon?
Apply directly through the official application link on this page. Review the eligibility criteria and prepare your startup documents before you begin.
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