Hack On Hills 8.0 — 48-Hour Hackathon at NIT Hamirpur

Hack On Hills 8.0 is the eighth edition of the hackathon run by the App Team at NIT Hamirpur. Teams get 48 hours on campus to build, and the event is counted among the biggest student-organised hackathons in North India. Applications close on 1 November 2026.

The theme this year is "The Age of Autonomous Agents". Teams are asked to create products and platforms that show where AI is heading next — software that does more than generate an answer, and instead works through a problem, plans the steps and carries them out. Developers, designers and technology enthusiasts are all invited to turn an ambitious idea into a working solution for a real-world problem.

Four tracks give teams a direction:

• AI & Autonomous Agents — systems that reason, plan, decide and execute with limited supervision.
• Blockchain & Web3 — decentralised applications, protocols and infrastructure for the next generation of the internet.
• Sustainability & Social Impact — technology aimed at environmental, social and community challenges.
• Open Innovation — bold ideas that sit outside the named categories but still create meaningful impact.

The format is hands-on from start to finish. Teams collaborate and prototype across the full 48 hours, then demo their work in front of a panel made up of industry experts, mentors and judges.

• Free 48-hour, in-person hackathon run by the App Team at NIT Hamirpur.
• Applications close 1 November 2026; apply through the official Devfolio page.
• Open to students and tech enthusiasts anywhere in India, in teams of 2 to 4.
• Tracks: AI & Autonomous Agents, Blockchain & Web3, Sustainability & Social Impact, and Open Innovation.
• Prizes currently shown: $1,194 (via ElevenLabs), plus sponsor challenges and bounties still to be announced.
• No registration fee, and no equity or stake is taken from participants.

Hack On Hills 8.0 is open to anyone in India who is a student or a technology enthusiast. The organisers describe the audience broadly — developers, designers and innovators are all named as welcome — and there is no restriction to a particular state, city or institution.

• Teams must have 2 to 4 members.
• Shortlisting happens before the event: organisers review the profiles of the participants and the quality of the applications submitted.
• No DPIIT recognition, MSME registration or incorporated company is listed as a requirement, so this is an event for individuals and student teams rather than registered businesses.

Hack On Hills 8.0 — 48-Hour Hackathon at NIT Hamirpur is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.

Applications for Hack On Hills 8.0 — 48-Hour Hackathon at NIT Hamirpur are open and the current deadline is 1 Nov 2026. Deadlines can change — always reconfirm on the official source before submitting.

Hack On Hills 8.0 is a competition, not an investment deal. There is no funding round, and nothing is exchanged for a share of what you build — teams keep their project and whatever they win.

What participants can take away:

• A prize pool spread across multiple domains, plus sponsor challenges and ecosystem bounties.
• The Devfolio listing currently shows $1,194 in prizes, credited via ElevenLabs; the full prize breakdown and partner tracks are yet to be announced.
• Mentorship from industry professionals and developer communities over the weekend.
• Networking with builders from across the country.
• Access to sponsor tracks, workshops and challenges during the event.
• Free registration — the listing is priced at "Nada".

For a student team, the practical return is a finished prototype, expert feedback, and visibility in front of judges, alongside whatever cash and sponsor rewards the team takes home.

There is no pitch round before the event. The first filter is the written application, where organisers review each team's participant profiles and the strength of what they submit. Shortlisted teams are then invited to the hackathon.

Once on campus, teams have the full 48 hours to collaborate, prototype and prepare a demo. The event closes with presentations in front of a panel of industry experts, mentors and judges, who assess the finished projects.

Before you apply to Hack On Hills 8.0 — 48-Hour Hackathon at NIT Hamirpur, 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.