LPU engages 2,600 innovators in 36-hour hackathon challenge

The Department of Student Research at Lovely Professional University (LPU) hosted a 36-hour flagship innovation challenge, Gear Up Season 4: Gateway to Smart India Hackathon 2025. The event served as a platform to identify and nurture the next generation of problem-solvers and innovators.

This edition saw a record-breaking response, with 900 teams registering across disciplines. After a rigorous screening process, 450 teams comprising over 2,600 student innovators qualified for the Internal Hackathon. The participants worked intensively on solutions to national challenges across diverse sectors including agriculture and rural development, healthcare, clean technology, smart automation, renewable energy and the future of education.

Dr Jaspal Singh Sandhu, Vice-Chancellor of LPU, Dr Loviraj Gupta, Pro Vice-Chancellor, and Dr Manish Grover, Business Mentor, attended the event and encouraged students to pursue innovation with purpose and responsibility. Dr Loviraj Gupta said, “These platforms cultivate innovators who actively shape policy, sustainability and digital advancement rather than merely observing the change around them.”

Following a demanding evaluation of prototypes and presentations, 100 top-performing students have been selected for screening for the Smart India Hackathon (SIH) Grand Finale. They will now represent LPU at the national level, where they will address complex problem statements posed by government ministries, industries, and NGOs.

The event not only acted as a gateway to the national hackathon but also reiterated LPU’s sustained commitment to fostering research, entrepreneurship and future-focused leadership.