Hult Prize MAHE Hosts Successful Hackathon at MIT Manipal: Empowering Social Entrepreneurs to Drive Global Change
Manipal: The Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), an Institution of Eminence Deemed to be University, hosted Hult Hackathon. The event was organized jointly by Hult Prize OnCampus, a local chapter of the global Hult Prize competition and the university’s Innovation Centre. The event served as a dynamic platform for social entrepreneurship, bringing together students from across India to develop innovative and sustainable solutions to pressing global issues. The Hult Prize is an annual competition held worldwide for ideas solving pressing social issues, such as food security, water access, energy, and education.
The hackathon witnessed enthusiastic participation with over 70 registrations and more than 55 submissions, reflecting the strong commitment of the student community towards purpose-driven innovation. Participants were challenged to conceptualize ventures addressing critical problems across three key domains: Health, Technology, and Finance.
Speaking at the inaugural of the event, Dr. Mohammad Zuber, Chief Innovation Officer, Innovation Centre, MAHE Manipal, emphasized, “The Hult Hackathon reflects the spirit of innovation at MAHE — where ideas meet impact. It’s inspiring to see students develop sustainable, real-world solutions to global challenges. Their creativity and purpose-driven approach truly embody our mission to nurture entrepreneurial thinkers who create meaningful change.”
Following a rigorous evaluation process, 16 top teams were shortlisted to present their refined proposals and business models to a distinguished panel of industry experts. The elite jury comprised Dr. Ajit Singh, Founder of CliMed Research Solutions; Mr. Vijaykrishna Shetty, Founder and CEO of ThoughtGenesis, a cybersecurity platform; and Mr. Mayur Shetty, CEO and Co-founder of Blackfrog Technologies.
The judges evaluated projects based on technical feasibility, scalability of social impact, and overall business sustainability. The hackathon successfully bridged academic rigor with real-world entrepreneurial expertise, providing participants with invaluable mentorship and insights from industry leaders.
The competition featured participation from both MAHE and Non-MAHE categories, with domain winners each receiving ₹10,000, bringing the total prize pool to ₹30,000. Additionally, the overall top three winning teams were granted mentorship opportunities for the prestigious Hult Prize MAHE OnCampus Program.
The winning teams across domains were:
Health Domain: Team NutriGo – Pranav Rao, Arjun Bhat, Tushar P, and Amogha (Non-MAHE)
Technology Domain: Team Threadly – Arnav Kapoor and Abhisaar Gupta (MIT, MAHE)
Finance Domain: Team CashTrack – Yashraj Sakunde, Aditanshu Sahu, and Rishit Kumar (MIT, MAHE)
The event concluded with the recognition of the most promising ventures, which will advance to the Hult Prize MAHE OnCampus Program. These teams will receive continued mentorship and support to refine their solutions and compete at higher levels of the prestigious global Hult Prize competition.
The Hult Hackathon reinforced MIT Manipal’s commitment to nurturing social entrepreneurship and equipping students with the tools and guidance needed to create meaningful, scalable impact. The event highlighted the institution’s dedication to fostering innovation that addresses real-world challenges while promoting sustainable development.
Participants lauded the hackathon for its well-structured evaluation process, expert mentorship, and the opportunity to network with industry leaders and fellow innovators. The event created a vibrant ecosystem where creativity, technical excellence, and social consciousness converged to drive transformative change.
