2,500 Students Take on Industry Challenges at VNR VJIET Convergence 2K26 in Hyderabad

Dr. B. Chennakesava Rao, Principal, VNR Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology, said the symposium brought students from different institutions together to test ideas, while 120 teams competed across software and hardware challenges

Hyderabad: More than 2,500 student registrations from over 25 colleges across five states marked the 27th edition of Convergence 2K26, the National Level Annual Technical Symposium hosted by VNR Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology.
The two day event brought students together for technology competitions, hackathons, innovation challenges and collaborative problem solving, with practical applications of artificial intelligence, robotics, cybersecurity and other emerging technologies forming a major part of the programme.
Convergence 2K26 carried a total prize pool of INR 1.2 lakh, divided equally between the Software and Hardware tracks with INR 60,000 allocated to each.

Dr. P. Shiva Prasad, Director, Asymmetric Technologies, DRDO Young Scientist Laboratory, Hyderabad, inaugurated the symposium and interacted with students and participants during the opening programme.
The two day hackathon featured 120 teams across the Software and Hardware tracks. Each track included 15 problem statements.
Several challenges examined how artificial intelligence could be applied to practical problems.
Pediatric Respiratory Sound Analysis asked participants to explore artificial intelligence based respiratory sound analysis to support faster pediatric triage.
The Expiry Risk & Redistribution Agent problem focused on predicting inventory at risk of expiry and recommending redistribution strategies to reduce waste.

Another challenge, the Multilingual Meteorological Intelligence and Advisory Agent, focused on delivering localised weather advisories and extreme weather alerts in regional Indian languages.
Payment Screenshot Fraud Detection asked participants to develop an explainable artificial intelligence system capable of identifying potentially manipulated or reconstructed payment screenshots.
In the Hardware Track, Order of Linus from the Institute of Aeronautical Engineering, comprising Ryan, Devansh and Chinmayee, secured first prize.
Ashtra from VNR, comprising Manaj, Namitha, Krishna, Chetan G, Raghu and Ram, finished second, while Robot: INO from VFSTR, comprising Athray and Shivangi, secured third place.

Special recognitions in the Hardware Track included the Best Social Impact award for Circuit Breaker from VNR, comprising Swapnil, Sathwik and Hrithika.
Medicer, represented by A. Vignul from VNR, received the Best Innovation award. Code Titans from MGIT, comprising Sai Deva, Harsha, Sreedinath, Vajrang and Sushanth, received the Best Prototype award.
Four teams were recognised across different domains in the Software Track.
VAGAbonds from VNR VJIET, led by Akshaya Chundi, won the Fintech domain for PS105. Athena’s Crew from VNR VJIET, led by Shamita Beesetti, won in Healthcare for PS405.

Hawkins Crew, comprising members from VNR VJIET and KMIT and led by Ragi Vaishali, won in Procurement & Logistics for PS205.
ZeroOne from the Institute of Aeronautical Engineering, Hyderabad, led by Kushal Saha, won in Climate, Energy and Green Technologies.
Each winning Software Track team received INR 10,000.

Dr. B. Chennakesava Rao, Principal, VNR Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology, said, “Convergence has always been envisioned as a platform where students can move beyond classroom learning and apply their knowledge to challenges that have real-world relevance. Through Convergence 2K26, we brought together students from different institutions and regions and created an environment where ideas could be tested, challenged and developed. The participation and enthusiasm of students, mentors and experts demonstrated the importance of creating such platforms for young innovators to collaborate, learn and explore emerging technologies.”
Beyond the hackathon, Convergence 2K26 included competitions covering Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Robotics, Coding, Cyber Security, Data and Analytics, Hardware and Embedded Systems, Automotive and Mobility, Project Contests and other technology areas.
The symposium provided participating students with opportunities to work on practical problems while applying technical knowledge across software, hardware and emerging technology domains.

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