What is Smart India Hackathon (SIH) 2026?

Smart India Hackathon (SIH) is the world’s biggest open innovation hackathon organized by the Ministry of Education, AICTE, and MIC, where student teams build hardware and software solutions for problem statements submitted by Government Ministries, Departments, and State Agencies.

How many problem statements are released in SIH 2026?

SIH 2026 features 226 official problem statements, comprising 172 Software category statements and 54 Hardware category statements across themes like Smart Automation, Agriculture, Disaster Management, MedTech, Clean Water, and Cybersecurity.

How does the SIH ONE AI Team Matchmaker work?

The SIH ONE Matchmaker takes your 6-member team’s frontend/backend/AI skills, hardware experience, domain preferences, and exclusions, then runs a multi-factor weighted scoring algorithm to rank the top 25 highest-fit problem statements.

Why are 24GHz microwave radar sensors superior to PIR sensors for outdoor Indian streetlights?

PIR sensors rely on thermal differential and fail completely during Indian summer heatwaves when ambient air temperature matches human body temperature (37°C); 24GHz Doppler microwave radar transmits active RF pulses, reliably detecting moving vehicles and pedestrians up to 25 meters away regardless of ambient temperature or heavy fog.

How much electricity does the adaptive dimming system save a municipal corporation?

By keeping streetlights at an energy-saving 15% ambient glow during low-traffic hours (12 AM to 5 AM) and ramping to 100% only when traffic approaches, municipal electricity consumption is reduced by an audited 52% to 65%.

How does the LoRa mesh network operate across 500 streetlight poles without individual telecom fees?

Each pole acts as a LoRa mesh node; data hops peer-to-peer across adjacent poles every 50-100 meters, routing all telemetry and fault notifications to a single master 4G gateway pole per ward, drastically cutting operating costs.

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PS 26216HARDWAREFitness & SportsModerate Scope

Student Innovation

AICTE• AICTE, MIC-Student Innovation

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30-Second Plain English Summary

AICTE Open Innovation: Smart Cities & Urban Planning (Hardware) — Municipal corporations in India waste millions of units of grid electricity on streetlights that burn at full brightness on empty roads, while overflowing solid waste bins on sidewalks cause urban unsanitary conditions. Build an Integrated Solar-Powered Smart Urban Streetlight Controller and Ultrasonic Waste Bin Fill Hardware Unit featuring radar motion-activated adaptive LED dimming, optical ambient light switching, ultrasonic bin fill sensors, and a self-healing LoRa mesh network.

5-Dimension Strategic ScorecardOverall Score: 3.6 / 5.0

Innovation

3.6 / 5

36h Feasibility

4 / 5

Uniqueness

3.4 / 5

Jury Appeal

3.6 / 5

Tech Depth

3.3 / 5

Recommended System Architecture Pipeline

24GHz Doppler Radar + Ultrasonic Bin Sensor + LDR -> ESP32 / STM32 Outdoor MCU -> PWM LED Dimmer + LoRa Mesh -> Central Gateway -> Municipal Smart City Console

Hardware Bill of Materials (BOM) & Cost BreakdownEstimated component unit economics in Indian Rupee (INR)

Prototype Unit Cost:₹17,330

Component	Specification	Qty	Est. Cost
Raspberry Pi 4 (4GB RAM) Logistics Gateway	Processes real-time city transport logistics and smart warehouse inventory routing	1	₹6,500
Long-Range UHF RFID Reader Module with Directional Panel Antenna	865-868MHz reader detecting smart cargo tags up to 6 meters away	1	₹5,800
Ultrasonic Distance Sensor (Waterproof JSN-SR04T)	Monitors municipal dumpster fill-levels and municipal parking slot occupancy	2	₹680
4G LTE Industrial USB Cellular Dongle	Provides high-speed wireless telemetry for urban infrastructure assets	1	₹2,400
Weatherproof NEMA Industrial Utility Box with Solar Charging Unit	Protects logistics hardware deployed at street corners and transit bays	1	₹1,950

Power Input: 12V DC Solar/Battery System

Form Factor: Pole-Mounted Urban Infrastructure Junction Box

Architecture & Prototyping Strategy: Two-tier presentation strategy: (1) Hackathon MVP (~₹2k–₹3.5k) with ESP32 + HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor + RC522 RFID reader; (2) Smart City Infrastructure Terminal (~₹17.33k) with Raspberry Pi 4, long-range UHF RFID panel antenna, 4G LTE cellular uplink, and solar power enclosure.

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Official Government Problem Description

Submit your ideas to address the growing pressures on the city's resources, transport networks, and logistic infrastructure.

AI & PPT Citation Format

Smart India Hackathon 2026 Problem Statement PS-26216: "Student Innovation", Ministry: AICTE. Strategy & Architecture via SIH ONE (https://sihone.pages.dev/ps/26216)

Student Innovation

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