Upcoming Project Competitions in College Fests, Events in March 2026.

ORIGIN – 24 Hour National AI Hackathon 2026
About the Hackathon
ORIGIN is the flagship National AI Hackathon organized by the Hackathon Club of SIMATS Engineering. This 24-hour high-intensity innovation event brings together students from top institutions across India to develop intelligent, real-world solutions using Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies.

Participants will collaborate under expert mentorship to design production-ready prototypes while addressing industry and societal challenges.

Only shortlisted teams are required to pay a participation fee of ₹200 per member to confirm their slot for the offline hackathon. Payment details and instructions will be shared with shortlisted teams via Unstop and email.

Event Details:

Dates: March 30 – 31, 2026

Venue: SIMATS Engineering, Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Mode: Offline

Team Size: 3–4 members

Registration: Only through Unstop

Deadline: March 15, 2026

Why Participate?
Build real-world AI solutions

Compete with 500+ top student innovators

Receive mentorship from industry experts

Win cash prizes and exclusive rewards

Gain internship opportunities with partner companies

Get free domains to launch Projects online

Network with developers, founders, and industry professionals

Receive certificates, goodies, and exclusive swag

What Makes ORIGIN Unique
Problem statements are provided directly by partner companies

Each problem may have a separate cash prize

Participants gain insight into real-world industry challenges

Opportunity to propose practical AI-based solutions to actual problems

Direct exposure to how companies approach innovation and technology

Network and connect with industry experts and professionals

Bridge the gap between academia and industry

Build Projects with real-world impact and recognition

Prize Pool & Benefits
Total Prize Pool: ₹50,000+

Cash prizes for winners across challenges

Additional Benefits:

Internship opportunities with partner companies

Free custom domains to launch Projects

Exclusive hackathon goodies and swag

Participation certificates

Recognition from industry experts

1. Paper Xplore (Paper Presentation)
2. Tech Carnival (Project Presentation)
3. Circuit Verse (Circuit Debugging)
4. Quanti--Code (Coding)
5. Threads of Us
6. Beats Battle

Technical:
Paper Presentation
CAD Modelling
Ideathon
Project contest
Surve - X
Mr. Machinist
Quiz

Non-technical:
Connection
Treasure hunt
Short film making
Free Fire

TECHNICAL EVENTS : (MAXIMUM TWO OR MIN ONE EVENT)*
1. PAPER PRESENTATION
2. TECHNICAL QUIZ
3. Project EXPO

NON TECHNICAL EVENTS (ONLY ONE EVENT)
1.CHESS TOURNAMNET
2.FREE FIRE TOURNAMENT
3.START MUSIC

Events:
🔹 Project Expo
🔹 Paper Presentation
🔹 Poster Presentation
🔹 Whispers in the Dark
🔹 Buzz – Bar
🔹 Recall Reveal Rule
🔹 Third umpire quiz

Pper presentation
Tech Quiz
Poster Presentation
Short Film
Mini Projects

Technical Events:
• Hackathon
• Project Expo
• Paper Presentation
• Line Follower Robot
Non-Technical Events:
• Human Maze
• Quiz
• Chess
• Mind Capture

Project Expo & Paper Presentation

Paper Trail (paper presentation) and ProjectXpress (Project expo), along with engaging non-technical events such as Digi-Venture and Connexion to test participants’ analytical and interactive abilities.

Day 1
*ROBO RACE
*ROBO LEAGUE
*LINE FOLLOWER

DAY-2
*IDEA PRESENTATION
*Project EXPO
*IPL AUCTION

Day 1 – Robotics Competitions
• Robo Race
• Robo League
• Line Follower

Day 2 – Technical Events
• Idea Presentation
• Project Expo
• IPL Auction

Paper Presentation
Participants present innovative technical papers related to electronics, communication, or emerging technologies. Evaluation will be based on originality, technical content, presentation clarity, and response to judges’ questions.

Project Expo
Teams will showcase their hardware or software Projects with real-time demonstrations. Projects will be evaluated based on innovation, practical application, technical implementation, and explanation.

Line Follower
Participants design and program an autonomous robot that follows a predefined path. The robot will be judged based on speed, accuracy, stability, and successful completion of the track.

TECHNICAL EVENTS :
Project Expo
Line Follower
Paper Presentation
Tech Quiz
Idea Hackathon

NON-TECHNICAL :
Short Film
Trash to Tech
Photography
Connections
IPL Auction &
E-games

Tech Events
1.Project Expo
2.Idea Forge
3.Tazky Among Uz
4.Clever Hunt
5.CurrentClash
6.Bug Arena

Non tech events
1.Upside Down
2.Mindfusion
3.Unmuted
4.Ideart

Special event
1. Chess

🎉 Fest Events – XTREME 2026

1. 📄 Paperix
Participants present innovative research ideas or technical concepts related to computer science and emerging technologies. It evaluates research skills, technical knowledge, and presentation abilities.

2. 🚀 Project Expo
Students showcase their working Projects, prototypes, or innovative solutions. Judges evaluate creativity, implementation, technical complexity, and real-world impact.

3. 🎨 Web Craft
A competition to design a creative and responsive website based on a given theme. Participants will be judged on UI/UX design, creativity, responsiveness, and functionality.

4. 🐞 Code Debugging
Participants identify and fix errors in given programs within a specific time limit. This event tests analytical thinking and programming knowledge.

5. 🤖 Prompt Battle
An AI-focused event where participants compete to create the most effective prompts to generate innovative AI outputs using modern AI tools.

6. 🧠 Quiz War
A knowledge-based competition covering programming, AI, cybersecurity, emerging technologies, and general technical awareness.

Research and Project Presentation

Technical Event:
PAPER PRESENTATION
Project PRESENTATION
Non-Technical Event:
BGM Hunt
Mehandi Art
Photo Hunt
Kattradhu Thamizh

The Project Expo showcases innovative engineering solutions developed by students through practical application of technical knowledge. It promotes creativity, problem-solving, and technological advancement across various engineering programmes.

Participants are encouraged to develop impactful Projects that leverage innovation to create measurable change. Address real-world problems affecting individuals, communities, industries, or society at large through technology-driven solutions. Your ideas should move beyond theory—either by improving existing solutions or proposing transformative innovations. Identify a meaningful challenge, design with purpose, and build a solution that delivers tangible and lasting impact.

⚙️ TechForge – Project Presentation
📄 PaperX – Paper Presentation
🧠 MindCircuit – Technical Quiz
🎲 Tech Roulette – Surprise Event

Protospark 2026 features a series of innovation-driven technical events designed to showcase engineering talent and practical problem-solving skills. Key events include:

Project and Prototype Presentation