HackMITWPU 2025, a three-day national-level hackathon, was conducted by MIT World Peace University (MIT-WPU) Pune, which witnessed the participation of over 7,000 students across India.
Innovation, collaboration, and real-life problems were the main themes of the event. The hackathon bridged the gap between classroom learning and actual industry challenges, featuring 14 fast-moving competition tracks. It allowed students to take what they’ve learned in college and apply it to real problems companies and society are confronting.
The hackathon’s theme was ‘ले छलांग (Le Chhallang) – The Leap of Faith, challenged and encouraged attendees to move beyond their comfort zones, challenge their existing norms, and take new risks in tech and entrepreneurship. The event also encouraged students to use their knowledge in some of the most high-demanding competitions of this era, such as the Ideathon, Workathon, Capture the Flag, Pharmathon, Bio-Thon, Hack-AI-Thon, and Data Quest, among many other competitions.
They were working on challenges in AI, space technology, cybersecurity, pharmaceuticals, sustainability, and much more. Awards were given out for competitions, including Ideathon, Hack-AI-Thon (competition for automation), Capture the Flag (bug bounties), Pharmathon, and Bio-Thon, as students showcased their practical and tech-oriented solutions.
The projects were evaluated by over 450 judges from the industry, academia, and research. Chem-E-Car, a small car powered solely by chemical energy, and a new project from STeRG (Space Technology Research Group), with a focus on spacecraft systems, were notable innovations. It was, too, a thoroughly enterprising event, where team names like Phoenix, Skytroopers, and Drifters hit the ground with a smorgasbord of drone- and model aircraft- and F1-style combustion vehicle-based projects — one of which was an aptly named Primus.
Prof. Prakash B. Joshi, Dr. R.M. Chitnis, Dr. Milind Pande, and other senior leaders of MIT-WPU were present, thereby guiding and encouraging students through the entire event. The AI Research Institute, Robotics and Automation Center, and Blockchain Centre of Excellence also provided significant guidance to the teams and specialists to offer advanced technical support.
Students from the branches of robotics, electronics, and civil engineering presented their research during the final year project exhibition. This gave junior students a real-world perspective on how what they learn in the classroom can be applied to projects outside academia. In addition, some chosen teams were mentored, incubated, and provided with a maximum of ₹1 lakh to take their concept forward.
Ultimately, HackMITWPU 2025 was a grand success — a true celebration of innovation and hands-on learning! It helped students learn how to obtain hands-on experience and gave them confidence in the bigger leaps they would take in life as technologists and entrepreneurs.
