HackSphere - Parichay 4.0: 12-Hour AI & ML Hackathon, Bangalore

HackSphere is a student hackathon staged on the campus of T. John Institute of Technology in Bangalore. It is one of the headline events of Parichay 4.0 – TechFest 2026, and the institute's Department of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning is the body behind it. Teams get a single 12-hour window in which to turn an idea into something they can actually demonstrate and defend in front of judges.

Because the department running the event works in AI and machine learning, entries that lean on those technologies sit closest to its centre of gravity. No fixed set of tracks is published, so teams are free to interpret the brief broadly — as long as the problem they pick is a genuine, real-world one and the solution they show is their own work.

The build sprint falls on April 21, 2026, opening at 10:00 AM and closing at 3:00 PM. This is an on-campus event, so everyone on a team has to be present in person. Nothing may be carried in ready-made: code written before the clock starts, pre-built projects and plagiarised material are all barred, and the judges' verdict on every submission stands as final.

Entry is open to students, and teams are the unit of participation. Each team needs its own laptops and the other resources required to build and demo a solution. Registration begins on the Unstop platform, with the closing date for sign-ups set at April 20, 2026 — the day before the hackathon itself.

• 12-hour on-campus hackathon at T. John Institute of Technology, Bangalore
• Scheduled for April 21, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, as part of Parichay 4.0 – TechFest 2026
• Open to all students; teams must have 2 to 4 members
• Run by the institute's Department of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, so AI and ML solutions fit best
• Solutions must be built entirely during the hackathon — pre-built projects and plagiarism are prohibited
• Register on Unstop by April 20, 2026

Who can take part

• Students. The hackathon is open to all students; the organisers do not restrict entry by institution, course, year of study or state.
• Team size: every entry must be a team of 2 to 4 members. Individual entries are not part of the format.
• Attendance: all team members have to be physically present on campus during the event. This is not a remote or online hackathon.
• Equipment: each participant must bring their own laptop and any other resources needed for development.

No DPIIT recognition, MSME registration or registered-company structure comes into play here — HackSphere is a student competition rather than a funding scheme for businesses, so those requirements simply do not apply.

HackSphere - Parichay 4.0: 12-Hour AI & ML Hackathon, Bangalore is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.

The most recent application window for HackSphere - Parichay 4.0: 12-Hour AI & ML Hackathon, Bangalore closed on 20 Apr 2026. Many programmes run repeat cohorts, so it is worth checking the official site for the next round.

What participants get

HackSphere is a competition rather than a grant or a loan, and the prize value is listed only as "varies", so no fixed cash figure can be quoted for it. What the organisers do confirm is an official Participation Certificate for everyone who takes part.

The rest of the value sits in the experience itself:

• A stage to present an original idea and defend it before a judging panel.
• Hands-on practice at solving a real problem inside a tight, fixed time limit.
• The chance to network with fellow students and faculty members.

Nothing in the programme details refers to equity, investment or any stake in what teams build.

Before you apply to HackSphere - Parichay 4.0: 12-Hour AI & ML Hackathon, Bangalore, 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.