Events

MIT World Peace University (MIT-WPU) hosted HackMIT-WPU 2025, a three-day innovation challenge held from 26 to 28 March 2025, under the theme “Le Chhalang” (The Leap of Faith). The event brought together over 7,000 participants from undergraduate, postgraduate, and Ph.D. programmes across disciplines, fostering creativity, collaboration, and impactful solutions to real-world problems.

The event exemplifies MIT-WPU’s philosophy of “Mind to Market” and “Paper to Product”, empowering students to transition from job seekers to job creators. Vice Chancellor, MIT-WPU, Dr. R.M. Chitnis emphasised the hackathon’s role in addressing global challenges through teamwork and innovation. Pro Vice Chancellor and Chief Convenor, Dr. Milind Pande highlighted the event's alignment with India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat and Startup India missions, nurturing entrepreneurial talent for the future.

This year's event featured 14 diverse tracks, including Ideathon, Workathon, Hack-AI-thon, Bio-thon, Designathon, and more. Participants showcased expertise in cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, sustainable energy, and more. The emphasis on women empowerment provided a platform for talented women innovators to showcase their potential and drive change.

The inaugural ceremony was graced by eminent leaders who inspired students with their insights :

• Mr. Pankaj Jain, CEO of Blue Ocean Steels, encouraged students to overcome mental barriers and embrace entrepreneurship
• Mr. Rajesh Korde, Senior Vice President at Northern Trust Corporation, emphasized nurturing small-scale enterprises
• Mr. Bhupesh Gahrotra, MD at Accenture ATCI, highlighted AI’s transformative role in generative technologies.

A major highlight was the MAKE IN MIT-WPU Pavilion, showcasing over 100 innovative student projects through vibrant stalls and roadshows by student clubs. Esteemed guests like Shri Suniji (Prasar Bharti), Shri Sham Arjunwadkar (Energy Consultant), and Shri Yogesh Joshi (Wipro Technologies) added depth to discussions on sustainability and innovation.

The final day featured notable speakers such as Hon’ble Prashant Pansare, Founder & CEO of Rubiscape and Inteliment, and Hon’ble Dr. Sanjay Patwardhan, Head of Data Insights at Cybage. The event concluded with an inspiring prize distribution ceremony led by esteemed faculty members and industry experts.

HackMIT-WPU successfully bridged academia and industry by providing mentorship opportunities and fostering real-world solutions evaluated by over 450 experts, reinforcing MIT-WPU’s commitment to shaping future innovators through bold leaps of faith.