Hack4Hyd is open to high school and undergraduate students across India. Teams of 2-4 members are encouraged, though solo participants may register and find teammates during the event.

No — the initial online round is free to register and participate. A ₹500 registration fee per person applies only if your team is shortlisted for the Grand Finale on August 1, 2026. Finale payments are processed securely via Stripe.

There are four challenge tracks: HealthTech, Rural Development Tech, Smart Education Tech, and Digital Literacy. Tracks are announced on July 4, 2026 — pick one when you register your team, and you can change it on My Team until registration closes.

The entire online round is remote — submissions are open July 18-24. Only shortlisted teams attend the Grand Finale on August 1, 2026 at our Hyderabad venue for live pitches and awards.

Submit your source code on a public GitHub repository, a README with setup instructions, and a brief video demo. Late submissions will not be accepted.

All implementation must begin after the challenge tracks are announced on July 4. Open-source libraries and frameworks are allowed, but pre-built projects are not.

Projects are judged on innovation (25%), technical complexity (25%), design & UX (20%), impact & feasibility (15%), and presentation (15%). See our Judging page for full details.

₹17,000 in cash prizes for the top three teams, plus trophies and certificates in special categories.