Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Dec 18: A student team from St Joseph Engineering College (SJEC), Mangaluru, has brought national acclaim to the institution by emerging as national champion at the Smart India Hackathon (SIH) 2025, one of the world’s largest innovation hackathons and India’s premier problem-solving platform.
The Smart India Hackathon, a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Education, government of India, is organised through the ministry’s Innovation Cell (MIC) in collaboration with AICTE. The platform brings together young innovators from across the country to develop technology-driven solutions to real-world challenges posed by government bodies, public sector undertakings and industries.
The SIH 2025 edition witnessed an unprecedented response, with over 72,165 ideas submitted by more than 68,766 student teams nationwide. Following a rigorous multi-stage evaluation process, 1,360 finalist teams were shortlisted to compete at the grand finale, conducted across 60 nodal centres under the theme ‘Hack for Bharat, Build for the World’.
The hardware edition grand finale was held from December 8 to 12 in Coimbatore, where shortlisted teams were evaluated by eminent domain experts, industry professionals and government representatives.
At the national finale, Team Sentinel Vision from SJEC competed under problem statement ID SIH25115, proposed by AICTE, MIC – Student Innovation. After clearing internal rounds, national-level screening and multiple evaluation stages, the team presented an innovative hardware solution that impressed the jury with its technical depth, execution quality and real-world applicability. Following an exhaustive evaluation process, Team Sentinel Vision was declared the winner, securing first place at the national level and a cash prize of Rs 1.50 lac.
Innovative solution for social impact
The award-winning project, titled Smart Glass for the Visually Impaired, focuses on developing an intelligent assistive device to help visually challenged individuals navigate their surroundings safely and independently. The smart glass integrates advanced sensors, embedded hardware and intelligent processing to detect obstacles and provide real-time feedback, thereby enhancing mobility, safety and overall quality of life.
The achievement reflects the team’s technical expertise, collaborative spirit, perseverance and commitment to socially impactful innovation, in line with the ethos of the Smart India Hackathon.
Team Sentinel Vision – SIH 2025 winners
The team comprised undergraduate students Gagan Rai P, team lead (fourth year, computer science and engineering), Abhishek R G (fourth year, computer science and business systems), Aditi Ravindra Naik (fourth year, computer science and engineering), Ashwin M V (fourth year, computer science and engineering), Christopher Inas Laindav (fourth year, electronics and communication engineering) and Gurumadhava H (fourth year, computer science and engineering).