400 Young Innovators from 15 States Compete in North India's Largest University-Led Hackathon at CU

NewsVoir

Chandigarh [India], August 22: To empower young innovators with entrepreneurial skills and transform their ideas into real-world start-ups, Chandigarh University's Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Cell (CU-IEDC) in collaboration with its Technology Business Incubator (CU-TBI) organized 'Zero-to-One' - a nationwide 24-hour MVP Building Hackathon on Thursday to mark World Entrepreneurs' Day. Attracting registrations from over 1,300 teams and 5,200 student innovators representing leading universities across 15 states, the event has positioned itself among the largest university-led hackathons in India, offering participants access to a $6 million prize pool and a direct entry to Campus Tank.

The 'Zero-to-One' hackathon is themed 'an idea in the morning, a start-up by night' served as a fast-paced innovation sprint, giving aspiring entrepreneurs a platform to transform their ideas into market-ready Minimum Viable Products (MVPs). Out of a total of 1300 teams, 100 teams were shortlisted who developed MVPs during the given 24-hour slot out of which top 10 teams were selected in the final round.

The top 3 winning startups got direct entry in the country's first university-led start-up challenge Campus Tank granting direct access to the top 300 teams to compete for the $6 Million prize pool. Lazy Genius, a team of four students from Dr Akhilesh Das Gupta Institute of Professional Studies (ADGIPS) New Delhi which came first in the Startup Challenge for their HealthTech Startup, has developed a physiotherapy model which will remain easily available for users with back and neck pain issues. Zudos, a team of three Chandigarh University students who came second in the Startup Challenge, have developed a tech startup for the creation of an affordable smartboard which operates with a laser mouse. Invaders, a team of four students from St John College of Engineering & Management (SJCEM) in Maharashtra which came third, have developed a Fintech Startup which will help groups of people who can't borrow money from bank to get loans on monthly basis by becoming part of a digital wallet. A special award of US$ 100 was also given by Github to Syntex Syndicate.

While CMD Tynor Orthotics India and Vice Chairman, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Pushvinder Jit Singh presided over the event as Guest of Honour, other prominent personalities from the world of entrepreneurship and start-ups who mentored participants in their prospective ventures during the hackathon include Mahavir Pratap Sharma, TIE India Angels, Mohit Dua Co-Founder, AI Sensy, Piyush Garg, Founder Techyst, Pratiksha Gupta, CEO, One Special Place, Piyush Sharma, Facilitator Google Cloud, Santosh Kumar Mishra, SDE Microsoft, Uday Sharma, CEO DevnDez, Simarpreet Singh, Developer Groups Google and Vikash Kumar Yadav, Campus Expert Github. From Chandigarh University, Prof (Dr) RS Bawa, Advisor to Chancellor, Chandigarh University and Prof (Dr) Manpreet Singh Manna, Vice-Chancellor, Chandigarh University and Archita Nandi, Director, Chandigarh University - Technology Business Incubator (CU-TBI) among other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.

The hackathon saw participation of aspiring founders from premier institutions including Amity University, GLA University, Thapar University, Lamrin Tech Skills University, MIT ADT University, Chitkara University, LPU, UPES, SRMIST, Delhi Technical Campus, IIIT Sonepat, VNIT, NIET, Geeta University, HPTU, GEC Gandhinagar and Chandigarh University among others. The participants came from states such as Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi NCR, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Punjab, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Jodhpur, Warangal, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Panipat, Gurgaon and Chandigarh among other cities.

Deep Inder Singh Sandhu, Senior Managing Director, Chandigarh University said, "Zero to One is the first of its kind MVP building hackathon organized by Chandigarh University that is aimed at transforming ideas into enterprise. It has brought together students, startups and tech enthusiasts to brainstorm, innovate, build and present impactful start-up solutions under the mentorship of industry stalwarts. I am quite hopeful that it is through such events that empower next-gen entrepreneurs with adequate funding and expert mentorship to transform their ideas into successful ventures, the start-up ecosystem of India will grow to be number one in the world soon. The hosting of 'Zero to One' has established CU which has already incubated more than 200 startups as national innovation driver that empower job-creators."

Archita Nandi, Director, Chandigarh University - Technology Business Incubator (CU-TBI) said, "While top 3 teams got the direct entry in the Campus Tank, the top 10 selected teams will be handheld by CU to release an MVP in the most frictionless environment for the next 4 months with incubation and market launch support from Chandigarh University. The handheld startup teams will be mentored by industry stalwarts and get direct entry to the demo day at Campus Tank. The hackathon was designed to bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world entrepreneurship. With a focus on ideation, validation, MVP building, debugging and final pitching, the program created a launchpad for India's next generation of startups, while also celebrating the successes of seasoned entrepreneurs who have already made their mark. The top teams will also gain exposure to CU's established Technology Business Incubator (TBI) infrastructure, integrating them into India's growing startup ecosystem."

Under strong leadership at the Centre, Transformative reforms reshaping every sector in India, this is the right time to dive into the world of entrepreneurship: Pushvinder Jit Singh, CMD Tynor Orthotics India and Vice Chairman, CII

Pushvinder Jit Singh, CMD Tynor Orthotics India and Vice Chairman, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) said, "We are living in extraordinary times under a strong and visionary leadership at the Centre. With transformative reforms reshaping every sector, India is rising with renewed confidence and is well on its way to becoming a Vishwa Guru. There has never been a more opportune moment to dive into the world of entrepreneurship than now."

Zero to One - 24 Hour Startup Challenge will help students, encourage entrepreneurship, says Santosh Kumar Mishra, Founder of InterviewCafe & Microsoft's Software Development Engineer

Santosh Kumar Mishra, SDE II (Software Development Engineer II) at Microsoft and Founder of InterviewCafe, said, "A Startup is not just about building a product but also about marketing, sales and all other things around it. Chandigarh University is supporting students in everything from product development to marketing and sales and there is a culture here at CU for encouraging entrepreneurship. I think this is a big shift of mind and it's very important in this era to have a mindset of a job creator than a job seeker. I think leadership skills are also being developed at CU for building a Startup."

Lauding Chandigarh University's Campus Tank initiative, Mishra said, "This is a great initiative as it will give opportunity to students who are not studying in India. Students are the pillars of India's Startup eco-system. So, the government and Chandigarh University are doing great work by providing a supporting environment. All students need is not chase good marks only and discover their passion because helps put all your energy into something and lead a meaningful life."

Chandigarh University has taken commendable initiatives for providing in-house platform for students: Simarpreet Singh, Community Organiser, Google Developer Groups

Simar Preet Singh, Community Organiser, Google Developer Groups, said, "Generally, students do not have funds to start their startup. So 'Zero to One - 24-Hour Startup Challenge 2025' is a great initiative for students to transform classroom knowledge into entrepreneurial action. As the winners of this hackathon will get entry into Campus Tank which has pledged funding of $6 million, such funding can help them build their startup. I think providing such in-house platform to students is a commendable initiative. Students should definitely try to make their ideas a reality. This increases their self-confidence. I have seen the development of a startup culture in India. It would be a great if students of Chandigarh University build their own startups and bring glory to India."

Chandigarh University is promoting Startup culture among students with Hackathons, says Uday Sharma, Founder & CEO of DevnDez

Lauding the Zero to One - 24 Hour Startup Challenge, Uday Sharma, Multi-Niche Tech Creator and Founder & CEO of DevnDez, said, "Such a competition is a great initiative for promoting a Startup culture among students. I advise students to be yourself. If you know the problem you are solving and the purpose of solving it, then you can solve anything. The solution you will come up with will help society and impact on the lives of many people. And you can take it forward in the form of a Startup. Earlier Hackathons were held only in companies which promoted the culture of job roles, but such competitions are being held in educational institutions which is great. Chandigarh University is promoting Startup culture among students with such Hackathons which is a great initiative."

It is important to make a roadmap for building a startup and career: Piyush Sharma, Facilitator Google Cloud & founder of YouTube channel @trickyman

Piyush Sharma, Google Cloud Facilitator & founder of YouTube channel @trickyman, said, "Chandigarh University 24-hour hackathon is a great initiative, where students got a chance to launch their startup in 24 hours. I think this initiative will inspire other universities. In today's time it is difficult to get a job just by having a degree, so it is important to participate in Hackathons, internships and project."

"Startup culture is very important because with this student can become job givers from job takers. It is important to make a roadmap for building a startup and career. Student life is the best time to work on a Startup Idea because this is the right time to strengthen one's future. Chandigarh University's Campus Tank platform is an important step in this direction," he added.

Chandigarh University not just Fund Start-ups but Transforms them into successful ventures through expert mentorship: Vikash Kumar Yadav, Campus Expert Github

Vikash Kumar Yadav, Campus Expert Github said, "Funding alone cannot guarantee success of any start-up, for it to become a high-growth venture, we need mentorship by industry experts. Unlike the start events organized at many other institutions, what sets apart Chandigarh University is that it not only provides the required funding for start-ups but also ensure mentorship by industry experts to transform brilliant ideas into successful entrepreneurial ventures. It is platforms like Zero to One that will shape the future of budding entrepreneurs and further boost the start-up ecosystem of our nation."

Chandigarh University is a NAAC A Grade University and QS World Ranked University. This autonomous educational institution is approved by UGC and is located near Chandigarh in the state of Punjab. It is the youngest university in India and the only private university in Punjab to be honoured with A Grade by NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council). CU offers more than 109 UG and PG programs in the field of engineering, management, pharmacy, law, architecture, journalism, animation, hotel management, commerce, and others. It has been awarded as The University with Best Placements by WCRC.

Website address: www.cuchd.in.

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