The coastline
The city that never stops building.
Along the coast, ideas keep moving.
INNOVAHACK Chapter 2: an international AI and startup hackathon, 2027
Innovation | Ideas | Technology | Startups | For a brighter world
Chapter 02
2027
An international hackathon
by Elite Forums
Builders from around the world creating real impact.
The lead storyMumbai
Mumbai
builds
the future.
Building toward one of the biggest international hackathons—and India's largest hackathon platform.
InnovaHack Chapter 2 is a 2027 international AI and startup innovation hackathon for teams worldwide, with a ₹50 Lakh prize pool. It is building toward one of the biggest international hackathons and India's largest hackathon platform.
Registration opening soon
- International
- Hybrid format
- 2027
- By Elite Forums
InnovaHack Chapter 2 · Event at a glance
- Participation
- International
- Total prize pool
- ₹50 Lakh
- Round 1 · Online
- Free
- Round 2 · Hybrid final
- ₹1,000 per team
- Team size
- Up to 4 people
Prize pool includesCash awards · Goodies · AI credits · Workshops · Incubation opportunities · Hiring opportunities · Certification courses · and more.
No. 02Mumbai inspires. The world innovates.
Rooted in Mumbai. Built for the world.
From the speed of its local trains to the ambition of its builders, Mumbai represents movement, resilience, diversity, and possibility. InnovaHack brings that spirit to an international platform for technology and entrepreneurship.
- MovementStation 01
- ResilienceStation 02
- DiversityStation 03
- PossibilityStation 04
Chapter 2 is an international event. The venue for the offline part of the final has not yet been announced.
Local train · Taxi outside the BMC headquarters · BEST buses · CSMT · A prototype taking shape
No. 03The official domains
Compare the tracksTwo domains. One international stage.
Every team enters one of exactly two official competition domains. AI is welcome in both.
Domain 01
Artificial Intelligence
Build beyond the ordinary.
Create intelligent solutions using emerging AI capabilities to address meaningful real-world problems.
Explore the AI track
Potential areas
- Generative AI
- Large language models
- AI agents & agentic workflows
- Machine learning
- Natural language processing
- Computer vision
- Multimodal AI
- Intelligent automation
- AI-powered enterprise applications
- Applied AI for real-world challenges
AI is the core of every submission in this domain.
Domain 02
Open Innovation / Startup Track
Turn ideas into reality.
Build original products, solve real-world problems, and transform ambitious ideas into practical, scalable innovations.
Explore the startup track
Potential areas
- SaaS & software products
- Startup MVPs
- FinTech applications
- Civic technology
- Education technology
- Agriculture & climate solutions
- Business productivity
- Community problem-solving
- Novel technology products & business models
AI is permitted but not compulsory in this domain.
No. 04More than a hackathon
Build. Collaborate. Create impact.
01
Build practical projects
Turn a real problem into a working solution you can demo.
02
Learn by exploring
Push into new tools, models and frameworks under real constraints.
03
Work as a team
Split the problem, divide the work and ship together.
04
Sharpen product thinking
Practise deciding what to build — and what to leave out.
05
Explore real challenges
Work on themes drawn from education, finance, climate, civic life and more.
06
Present your work
Explain what you built, why it matters and how it works.
07
Meet mentors
Engage with mentors where sessions are available during the event.
08
Find connections
Explore industry and startup connections around the event.
09
Grow your portfolio
Leave with a project that shows what you can do.
Confirmed
Hiring opportunities are part of the prize pool
InnovaHack Chapter 2 is an international hiring and startup hackathon: hiring opportunities are part of its ₹50 Lakh prize pool, so teams can show what they have built to companies looking for talent. Hiring partners have not been announced yet. Companies interested in hiring can get in touch.
Participation does not guarantee employment, funding, incubation or investment. Any partner opportunity will be published with its terms once it is confirmed.
No. 05The competition journey
From first idea to final stage.
The proposed Chapter 2 stages, subject to the organizer's final rules. Dates will be added as they are confirmed.
CH-02 LineNow boarding: Registration opening soon7 stations · Online → In person
CH-02 FAST · GRAND FINALE
Station 01
Registration
Registration & team formation
Sign up, form your team and choose one of the two official domains.
PF · OnlineDate TBAProposedStation 02
Idea
Idea submission
Submit the problem you are solving and the approach you plan to take.
PF · OnlineDate TBAProposedStation 03
Screening
Screening & evaluation
Submissions are reviewed against the published evaluation criteria.
PF · OnlineDate TBAProposedStation 04
Build Sprint
Online build sprint & mentor interactions
Shortlisted teams build their solutions, with mentor sessions where available.
PF · OnlineDate TBAProposedStation 05
Semifinal
Semifinal selection
Teams are selected to advance to Round 2, the final.
PF · OnlineDate TBAProposedTerminus · Station 06
Grand Finale
Round 2: hybrid grand finale
Finalists build, demo and present in person. Venue to be announced.
PF · In personDate TBAProposedStation 07
Follow-up
Post-event follow-up & opportunities
Results, recognition and any partner opportunities that are confirmed for the edition.
PF · HybridDate TBAProposed
Proposed stages, subject to the organizer's final rules. The train is decorative and does not show progress.
No. 06Tiered cash awards
Three tiers. Eighteen winning teams.
₹1,00,000 in tiered cash awards
Each amount is awarded per winning team. Tier 1 has 3 teams, Tier 2 has 5, and Tier 3 has 10.
The three tiers
Cash awards are paid per team, not per individual.
- Tier 13 winning teams₹10,000 per team
- Tier 25 winning teams₹6,000 per team
- Tier 310 winning teams₹4,000 per team
No. 07Partners & industry
Partner with usReal problems. Real builders.
Chapter 2 partners
Partner with InnovaHack.
Chapter 2 partners have not been announced yet. Organizations interested in shaping the edition can get in touch now.
Option 01
Set a challenge
Bring a real problem statement for teams to work on within either domain.
Option 02
Provide tools
Offer APIs, platforms or credits that help teams build.
Option 03
Mentor & judge
Share expertise with teams during the build and evaluation.
Option 04
Reach builders
Connect with student and early-career builders from around the world.
No. 08Mumbai roots · international stage
The city behind the inspiration.
The colours, routes and textures of this edition come from Mumbai's everyday life. These features are the inspiration for the design — not competition categories.
The kaali-peeli
The journey never stops.
The black-and-yellow taxi is Mumbai's most recognizable symbol — and the source of the taxi-yellow accents used throughout this site.
The classic Premier Padmini taxis were phased out of service in 2023; their colours remain on the city's taxis today.
BEST
Moving a city. Moving ideas.
The red buses of BEST — the city's municipal transport undertaking — carry Mumbai through its everyday rhythm.
BEST: Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport.
The local
Connected by routes. United by ideas.
The suburban 'local' trains link the city along the Western, Central and Harbour lines.
Mumbai Suburban Railway.
Railway heritage
Where every route begins.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Mumbai Central and Marine Lines are three different stations, each with its own history.
Pictured: CSMT, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Victorian Gothic style. The Chapter 2 venue has not been announced; InnovaHack is not being held at these stations.
Marine Drive
Where the city meets the sea.
The promenade's curve of streetlights is known as the Queen's Necklace after dark.
Marine Drive is the promenade; Marine Lines is the neighbouring locality and railway station.
Kala Ghoda
Where creativity takes the streets.
Galleries, museums and street-side art give the precinct its creative energy.
Kala Ghoda — 'black horse' — is South Mumbai's art precinct.
The autorickshaw
Small rides. Big ideas.
Autorickshaws serve Mumbai's suburbs and the wider metropolitan region.
They do not operate in the island city's southern areas, where taxis serve short trips instead.
No. 09International participation
Mumbai on the map. Open to the world.
The city on the map inspires this edition's identity — its trains, streets and shoreline. InnovaHack Chapter 2 itself is an international hackathon, open to builders from around the world, not only from Mumbai. Eligibility details will be published in the official rules.
The city map · Mumbai
Island city & suburbs
Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban districts. Rail lines are drawn station to station and positions are approximate. The Chapter 2 finale venue has not been announced and is not shown.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Map key
- Western line
- Central line
- Harbour line
- Sea link
- Mumbai City district
- Mumbai Suburban district
- 1. Gateway of IndiaArch monument on the waterfront at Apollo Bunder.
- 2. Kala GhodaSouth Mumbai's art precinct.
- 3. CSMT & BMC headquartersThe UNESCO-listed terminus, with the BMC building opposite.
- 4. Marine DriveThe seafront promenade curving along Back Bay.
- 5. Bandra–Worli Sea LinkCable-stayed bridge across Mahim Bay.
- 6. Juhu BeachThe suburbs' long sandy shoreline.
- 7. Mumbai airportChhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
- 8. Powai LakeLake in the eastern suburbs.
- 9. Sanjay Gandhi National ParkForested national park within the city limits.
Chapter 2 participation — live figures
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Registrations | Not yet published |
| Team registrations | Not yet published |
| Completed submissions | Not yet published |
| Colleges represented | Not yet published |
| States & UTs represented | Not yet published |
| Finalist teams | Not yet published |
| Confirmed partners | Not yet published |
Figures appear here only once they are supported by real registration data. Targets are always labelled as targets.
Registration opening soon
Be first to know.
Registration for Chapter 2 is not open yet. Join the update list and we will tell you as soon as it opens. Updates are sent only when there is official news — dates, registration, domains and partners.
Rooted in Mumbai. Open to the world. Designed for the future.