Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ) inaugurated the Smart India Hackathon (SIH) 2025 – Hardware Edition with remarkable enthusiasm, marking the fourth consecutive year of hosting the prestigious national innovation event. The ceremony opened with the traditional lamp-lighting in the esteemed presence of Chief Guest Ms. Meenu Sarawgi, Executive Vice President & Chief Strategy and Operations, Automotive Skills Development Council, and Guest of Honour Dr. Puneet Sharma, Media Advisor, SIH. They were joined by senior leadership including Dr. N.N. Sharma, President MUJ; Dr. Karunakar A. Kotegar, Pro-President, MUJ; and Dr. Neetu Bhatnagar, Provost MUJ, Dr. Amit Soni, Registrar MUJ along with AICTE officials Mr. Ankush Gawri and Mr. Deakin Daney.
In here welcome address Dr. Neetu Bhatnagar welcomed the participants from across the country and stressed the growing significance of innovation-centred education. Mr. Ankush Gawri delivered an energizing message describing SIH as a “festival of innovation” and highlighted the scale of SIH 2025. He shared that MUJ is hosting 20 finalist teams and 26 mentors working round the clock over five days to build hardware-powered solutions. He encouraged participants to innovate boldly and contribute ideas that elevate the nation’s standing.
Dr. Niti Nipun Sharma addressed the gathering by expressing gratitude to Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi and AICTE for championing this transformative initiative. Motivating the innovators, he urged the participants, “Don’t get tired; solve the problem; be innovative,” reaffirming the spirit of SIH as a celebration of problem-solving. Chief Guest Ms. Meenu Sarawgi praised MUJ’s vibrant campus ecosystem and emphasized SIH’s crucial role as a bridge between academia, government, and industry. She highlighted that the Hardware Edition is instrumental in strengthening India’s Industry 4.0 readiness and shaping a future-ready, tech-savvy workforce. Guest of Honour Dr. Puneet Sharma congratulated the participating teams and remarked that national initiatives like SIH have played a key role in boosting patent filings across the country. He referred to the event as the symbolic “foundation day” of every young innovator’s entrepreneurial journey.
The national online inaugural session conducted by AICTE featured an address by Prof. T.G. Sitharam, Chairman, AICTE, who acknowledged the support of Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. He appreciated the rising participation of women innovators and encouraged students to be “vocal for local.”
At MUJ, the ceremony concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Surbhi Sharma, SPOC, SIH 2025, who acknowledged the contributions of the dignitaries, mentors, participants, and university leadership in making the inaugural event a success
