OOTY HACKS2026
Build above
the ordinary.
Different backgrounds. Wild ideas. One shared goal:
turn a “what if” into something that works.
THE BIRTH OF THE NEXT ERA
OOTY HACKS brings builders together in the heights of Ooty. The hackathon is about what happens when curious people get in a room, look beyond the ordinary, and construct autonomous systems, ecological tools, and self-evolving code.
Agentic Autonomy
Build multi-agent frameworks capable of complex reasoning, autonomous decision loops, and tool orchestration.
Ecological & Local Tech
Turn local environmental, agricultural, and community challenges into resilient, deployable systems.
Zero-Knowledge & Privacy
Architect verifiable models powered by cryptographic proofs, privacy-preserving AI, and confidential enclaves.
Quantum & Scaled Compute
Optimize algorithmic throughput with accelerated pipelines, Edge AI, and distributed compute clusters.
HACKATHON TRACKS
Compete across four frontier domains. Choose your track to explore starting points and deploy breakthrough solutions.
Make intelligence
feel useful.
Build an AI-powered tool that solves a clear, everyday problem.
What could AI help someone do today that they couldn’t do yesterday?
HACKATHON SCHEDULE
December 19 & 20, 2026 — 24 intense hours from team assembly to global demo day in the hills of Ooty.
INITIALIZATION & KICKOFF
- 10:00 IST Opening Ceremony & Keynote: "Build Above the Ordinary"
- 11:30 IST Team Formation & Challenge Briefing
- 12:00 IST 24-Hour Hackathon Timer Starts — Hacking Begins
THE OVERNIGHT SPRINT
- 16:00 IST Architecture Check-ins & Technical Workshop
- 21:00 IST 1-on-1 Mentorship & Mid-Hack Progress Review
- 02:00 IST Midnight Fuel & Deep Night Code Sprint
DEMO DAY & AWARDS
- 10:00 IST Final Polish, Testing & Pitch Deck Prep
- 11:30 IST HARD CODE FREEZE & Project Submissions
- 12:00 IST Final Stage Demos, Judging & ₹30,000 Prize Ceremony
Find your people.
Find your problem.
Get the brief, meet fellow builders, and shape an idea with a team.
PRIZES & INCUBATION
₹30,000 in cash awards plus direct mentorship, cloud credits, and incubation for top teams.
Top honor with cash reward, fast-track VC interviews, cloud compute grants, and bespoke trophies.
Direct cash reward, mentor network access, and exclusive builder launchpad perks.
Recognizing outstanding technical execution and rapid prototype delivery by an individual engineer.
Special prize for the most unexpected, delightful, or hardware-integrated hack.
JUDGES & MENTORS
Evaluated by visionary leaders from AI research, engineering, and venture capital.
Dr. Elena Vance
Kenji Arai
Dr. Sophia Chen
Marcus Alexov
Aarav Kapoor
OUR SPONSORS
Backed by pioneer platforms, tech enterprises, and ecosystem accelerators powering the OOTY HACKS summit.
go.hub
Unified cloud workspace, dev containers, and accelerated build pipelines for distributed engineering teams.
scidaforest
Ecological intelligence platform deploying bio-inspired sensor networks and forestry preservation telemetry.
elro tech
Ultra-low latency micro-compute boards and edge neural accelerators for autonomous robotics.
unstop
Premier global community connecting ambitious builders with live hackathons, hiring sprints, and VC networks.
delyon
Early-stage venture accelerator providing pre-seed matching grants, strategic advisory, and global demo days.
Cloud Infrastructure & Collaborative Dev
go.hub provides every registered builder at OOTY HACKS with instant-on development environments, containerized workspaces, and high-speed CI/CD runners.
- $2,000 in free cloud compute & container credits
- Instant staging environments with live URL previews
- VIP technical mentorship office hours during the sprint
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Everything you need to know about OOTY HACKS before you pack your bags for Ooty.
Who is eligible to participate in OOTY HACKS?+
People who want to build: developers, designers, students, and curious problem-solvers. Whether you are building solo or in a team of up to 4 people, all backgrounds are welcome.
Do I need an existing team?+
You can join solo or with a team. We host a dedicated team-formation session right after kickoff so solo builders can match skills and brainstorm together.
Where and when is it happening?+
OOTY HACKS takes place on December 19 & 20, 2026 in Ooty, Tamil Nadu. Official registration checkpoints and opening ceremonies start at 10:00 AM IST on December 19th.
Is there a registration fee?+
Participation is free for accepted applicants. The preview lets you prepare and save your draft on this device without cost.
What are the IP rights for submitted projects?+
You retain 100% ownership of all IP and software you create during the hackathon.
What should I prepare before arriving?+
A laptop, your preferred development environment, and an open mind. You can use the build-brief generator to formulate a plan with your team beforehand.
JOIN THE SUMMIT
Event dates: December 19 & 20, 2026 · Ooty, India. Prepare a summit draft here; it stays saved on this device.
ACCESS INITIALIZED
Your draft has been recorded and safely stored on this device. You can download your registration draft or prepare a team build brief.