The National Level OLabs Hackathon 2025, held at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham’s Amritapuri Campus on February 28th and March 1st, directly addressed United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) . “Reimagining Education Through Innovation,” the event’s tagline, guided the effort to enhance the OLabs platform by bringing together innovative minds from across the nation to develop creative, practical, and scalable technological solutions.
The OLabs Hackathon (OLabsThon) was organized jointly by Amrita School of Computing , Amrita Center for Research in Analytics, Technologies & Education (Amrita CREATE), and ACM Student Chapter , Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amritapuri Campus. This event is supported by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Ministry of Education (MoE), Government of India. The platform was sponsored by Devfolio . This initiative significantly advances SDG 4 by providing online lab experiments, and helping students overcome limitations of physical labs, expensive equipment, and geographical barriers.
Inaugural Ceremony: Setting the Stage for Innovation
The hackathon commenced with an inspiring inaugural ceremony at Annapoorneshwari Hall. The traditional lighting of the lamp and prayer symbolized the pursuit of knowledge and enlightenment. Dr. Geetha M , Chairperson of CSE (AI), Amrita School of Computing, delivered a warm welcome address, emphasizing the crucial role of innovation in education. Br. Vishwanathamrita Chaitanya, Chairperson of Corporate & Industry Relations (CIR), Amritapuri, shared Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham’s vision and commitment to fostering a culture of innovation.
Dr. Prema Nedungadi , Associate Dean of Amrita School of Computing and Director of Amrita CREATE, Amritapuri, introduced the OLabs platform and its transformative potential. Dr. Divya Udayan J , Assistant Professor, Amrita School of Computing, outlined the hackathon’s objectives, rules, and evaluation criteria, while Reshma V B, Project Coordinator, Amrita CREATE, provided a detailed demonstration of the OLabs platform’s features.
Expert Mentorship and Rigorous Evaluation
Following the inaugural ceremony, the on-site hackathon commenced, with participants diving into intense development and problem-solving. Participants received technical support and guidance from experienced mentors from the industry and Amrita CREATE. Mentors from the industry like Mr. Prakash AK, Mr. Rakesh Rajasekharan, Mr. Abhishek Siddhart, and Ms. Susan Varghese offered online mentorship. Expert mentors from CREATE like Mr. Ashish Pillai, Ms. Aswathy T Balan, Ms. Anumole, Mr. Devanand, and others provided hands-on support.
The evaluation process, conducted in three stages, ensured a comprehensive assessment of the projects.
Stage 1: Domain-Based Evaluation: Participants were evaluated by domain experts, receiving constructive feedback for refinement.
Stage 2: Panel Presentation Round: Teams presented their improved projects to the panel members, demonstrating their solutions.
Stage 3: Final Presentation to Audience: Shortlisted teams showcased their projects to a wider audience.
The judging panel consisted of industry leaders like Mr. Davis Jose, Mr. Ken Kurian, Mr. Ajesh Arumukham, and Mr. Sujith John and distinguished faculty members from Amrita School of Computing, including Dr. Swaminathan J, Dr. Don. S, Dr. Alok Kumar, Dr. Kiran P, Dr. G Gopakumar, Dr. Geetha M, and Dr. Divya Udayan J, along with experts from Ramesh Guntha , AmritaWNA and Gautham K. Dileep, Amrita CREATE.
A Showcase of Innovation and Dedication
The OLabs Hackathon 2025 witnessed an impressive level of engagement, demonstrating the strong interest in innovative educational technology. The event’s journey from initial submission to final participation showcased a rigorous selection process:
The grand finale commenced with a vote of thanks by Priya Ravi, Assistant Manager – Events and Marketing, School of Computing, Amritapuri, followed by the presentation of the top three teams.
Winners:
The National Level OLabs Hackathon 2025 was a resounding success, fostering innovation and collaboration among students and experts. Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham remains committed to nurturing talent and driving innovation in education through such impactful events.
