As a designated nodal center, IIT Guwahati facilitated the software edition of the hackathon, hosting student teams from across the country.

Themes

This year’s hackathon addressed a diverse range of themes.

Robotics and Drones, Clean and Green Technology, Tourism, Renewable/ Sustainable Energy, Blockchain/ Cybersecurity, Smart Education, Disaster Management, Games & Toys, Fintech, Smart Automation, and, Fitness and Sports were also among those themes.

Director of IIT Guwahati

Prof. Devendra Jalihal, Director, IIT Guwahati spoke about hosting SIH 2024 at IIT Guwahati.

Hosting the Smart India Hackathon 2024 at IIT Guwahati exemplifies the spirit of innovation, collaboration, and problem-solving among young minds from across the nation, he said.

The diverse themes tackled by participants underscore the potential of technology to address critical challenges while also serving as a platform for nurturing these transformative ideas and fostering a culture of creativity and innovation among our youth, said IIT Guwahati director.

NTRO

The National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) presented a challenging set of four problem statements for the competition at the IIT Guwahati center, including:

Ø Few Shot Language Agnostic Keyword Spotting (FSLAKWS) system for audio files

Ø Identification of algorithm from the given dataset using AI/ML Techniques

Ø Centralized Automated Solution for Price Estimation & Reasonability

Ø Development of AI/ML based solution for detection of face-swap based deep fake videos

Statement

Each problem statement offers a winning prize of Rs. 1 lakh per nodal center, say sources from IIT Guwahati.

The hackathon featured 20 teams, each comprising six students and two mentors, with five teams working on each problem statement.

Spanning a continuous 36 hours, the competition saw three jury members evaluating each team’s solutions, say sources from IIT Guwahati.

Key highlight

A key highlight of the Smart India Hackathon 2024 was the annual address by Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, who virtually interacted with participants.

He encouraged them to harness technology for solving real-world challenges and contributing to national progress.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said there was a need for new innovative solutions to tackle global challenges while making local innovations impactful on a global scale.

He further said through platforms like Smart India Hackathon, our talented youth are developing real-world solutions to complex problems, embodying the spirit of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat.

Their out-of-the-box thinking and commitment to innovation are shaping a brighter and more prosperous future for the nation and contributing to solutions for global issues, he said.

Launch

Since its launch in 2017, the Smart India Hackathon has been a key initiative by the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell (MIC) and AICTE, focused on addressing real-world challenges through technological innovation, say sources from IIT Guwahati.

The grand finale brought together students, industry experts, mentors, and evaluators, with participants working diligently to develop practical solutions under expert guidance.

Experience

Sharing her experience at IIT Guwahati for SIH 2024, Ms. Rajeshwari Mughilan, 2nd year B.Tech. student, Kongu Engineering College, Erode, said, “Coming from Erode, we are thoroughly enjoying the warm hospitality of the institute.

The support and guidance from both the faculty and students have been exceptionally welcoming.

‘In the Smart India Hackathon 2024, we are working on a project focused on data security and data transfer.’

Specifically, we are aiming to decode encryption from ciphertext using AI and ML, she said.

Mr. Pawan Sharma, 2nd year B.Tech. student, IIT Kharagpur, said he was excited to be a part of Smart India Hackathon 2024 and to be at IIT Guwahati.

In our problem statement, we are implementing AI, ML, and a deep learning model to identify various cryptographic algorithms, he said.

Our goal is to develop a scalable model that will be beneficial for forensic departments, scientists, and researchers working in this field, he said.

Such initiatives play a vital role in nurturing the next generation of problem-solvers and driving technological advancements indigenously, that have a meaningful impact on society, said Prof Bithiah.

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The objective is to accelerate adoption of Zero Emission Trucks (ZET) like Electric Trucks in India as despite trucks representing only 5% of the vehicle fleet, they consume nearly 65% of diesel, leading to substantial pollution and fuel consumption costs.

1. Project Driver Rating Application (DRA): An AI-driven mobile app to assess truck driving behaviour on safety and energy efficiency

Ø The mobile app will include anticipative alerts designed to inform drivers of inadequate driving behaviour relative to the static context of road infrastructure.

Ø Enrol drivers of diesel trucks, which are operating in long distances of minimum of 4,000 km per month.

2. Project Outreach: Generate awareness about Zero Emission Trucking (ZETs) among the truck drivers and operators

Ø Conducting outreach events to generate awareness about ZETs among end users including drivers, helpers, mechanics, fuel pump operators, body fabricators, and small fleet operators.

Ø Project to cover States that contribute to 80% of the population of Medium and Heavy-Duty Trucks (more than 12T Gross Vehicle Weight – GVW).

Ø The project aims to cover the trucking community directly through physical events at a minimum of 200 locations across South, Central, West, and Eastern States (excluding North Zone States, which were covered during pilot trials) and through digital communications that are apt for the user layer.

Awareness and Acceptance

Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said awareness, acceptance and Adoption – that is the process being taken.

This first step is to make these stakeholders aware of the different aspects of truck electrification – the trends, advantages, challenges and technologies, he said.

The idea is to build a strong relationship based on trust. Once that relationship is in place, we plan to engage with them in order to help them accept the electrification journey – appreciating the benefits that accrue to them as well as the country and world at large, said IIT Madras director.

Prof Kamakoti further said “Finally, we will help them adopt truck electrification with the right tools, training and preparations.”

There are many people who are working with different Stakeholders for Truck Electrification – IIT Madras is engaging with this mostly neglected community that is going to be most critical in the Adoption of e-Trucks, said director of IIT Madras.

Fast growth

India’s trucking industry is on a fast growth trajectory with freight movement making up 70% of road-based transportation.

Such initiatives, launched early and with prolonged engagement, is expected to help India accelerate the Electrification of Trucks, thereby saving import costs of petroleum, improving competitiveness, reducing emissions and increasing driver comfort and well-being, say sources from IIT Madras.

This layer of stakeholders consisting of drivers, cleaners, operators, mechanics, dhabha owners, masseurs, barbers and pump operators, among others, widely called the ‘User Layer’, will be the most critical layer from a psychological acceptance perspective, he said.

Prof Shankar Ram of IIT Madras further said while most of the other Stakeholders like fleets, Government, etc., will be influenced by the main monetary, policy, emission and energy security considerations.

This layer actually feels the direct impact of any change in Trucking and, that too, on a day-to-day base, said Prof Shankar of IIT Madras.

The drivers, especially, will be seeing significant improvements in their personal comfort due to truck electrification- the noise, vibration, heat, fatigue, acceleration and many other criteria will see significant improvements, he said.

But they will also be required to replan their schedules in order to find that extra couple of hours to break journey for charging, he said.

This community needs to understand and accept these changes well in advance, he said.

Key highlights

Key highlights of the new initiatives are:

Ø Content and communication shall be in local languages, or English or Hindi, depending on the local requirement.

Ø Digital communications and updates on ZETs to engage end users continuously. And live streaming of select events at select locations.

Ø Create digital content and activities such as a YouTube channel, YouTube advertisements, testimony videos, a digital quiz, dissemination via WhatsApp groups, etc.

Ø Share insights from end users with organisations such as thinktanks, OEMs, and supporting infrastructures, working towards accelerated adoption of ZETs.

Ø Project duration – 16 to 18 months.

Community

T. K. Ajithkumar, CEO, Centre of Excellence for ZET said they will be working with this community over the next 12 to 18 months through partners.

While the engagement details are conceived and designed by CoEZET, it is implemented through our partners who are skilled in the communication and technology tools required for these engagements.

One of our partners will be doing hyper-local events in the dhabas, truck stops, goods exchanges and Logistics parks, he said.

Such initiatives, launched early and with prolonged engagement, is expected to help India accelerate the Electrification of Trucks, thereby saving import costs of petroleum, improve competitiveness, reduce emissions and increase driver comfort and well-being, he said.

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