IndustrySolve Idea-Thon & Product-a-Thon 2025

What is This Event?

IndustrySolve 2025 is a Two-phase Innovation Competition where you'll solve actual problems that real companies face every day.

Phase 1: Come up with Brilliant Ideas during our Idea-Thon (One Full-Day Event).

Problem statements are live now at this Google Document! 

Phase 2: Build your Idea into a Working Product during our Product-a-Thon (One Month Development with Mentorship & Support).

Think of it like this, we give you Real Problems that Companies need solved. You propose Solutions. Then you actually build those Solutions and compete for Cash Prizes and Funding Opportunities!

Why Should You Join?

• Real Problems: Work on Actual Industry Challenges, not made-up Assignments 
• Cash Prizes: Win up to ₹80,000 in Total (all in cash prize money)
• Free Training: Get ₹25,000 worth of Vouchers for Professional Courses at IIIT Delhi.
• Mentorship: Learn from Industry Experts and Professors 
• Startup Opportunities: Get direct access to Incubators and Funding 
• Build Your Portfolio: Create something real that you can show to Future Employers

Complete Event Timeline:

• Phase 1: Idea-Thon (Offline Event)
• Date: Saturday, September 13, 2025
• Time: 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM
• Location: IIIT-Delhi Campus

What You'll Do:

• Choose one Problem from our List of Real Industry Problems.
• Spend the whole week brainstorming your Solution Idea, prior to the Event.
• Work with Mentors who will guide you to refine your idea on the Event day.
• Create a Presentation and a Short Video explaining your proposed Solution.

What You Need to Submit:

• Presentation (PPT) — Explaining your Solution.
• Video (2-3 minutes) — Pitching your Idea.

Your presentation should cover:

• What Problem are you solving, and why does it matter? 
• Your Proposed Solution and what makes it Special
• How you plan to build it (Technical Details).
• Why companies would want this Solution (Market relevance)
• Your step-by-step plan to create a working Prototype

Result: Top 40 teams move to Phase 2

Online Review Meetings (Mandatory Attendance)

These are check-in meetings to make sure you're making progress:

• Review 1: September 20, 2025 - Show your initial design and plan (Top 40 teams). 
• Review 2: September 27, 2025 - Show early prototype or testing results
• Review 3: October 4, 2025 - Show nearly complete prototype (Top 20 teams selected)

Missing any review meeting = Automatic Disqualification!

Phase 2: Product-a-Thon (Offline Showcase):

• Date: Saturday, October 12, 2025
• Time: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
• Location: IIIT-Delhi Campus
• Participants: Top 20 teams

What You'll Do:

• Present your working Prototype or Proof-of-Concept
• Demonstrate how your solution actually works
• Compete for the top 3 positions

What You Need to Submit:

• Working Prototype (Something that actually Works!)
• Updated Presentation (Showing how you built your Idea)
• Technical Documentation (Code, Design Files, Component List, Circuit Diagrams)
• Demo Video showing your Prototype in Action

Sample Problem Statement:

Here's an example of the type of problems you'll work on:

How might we design an IoT-enabled smart water monitoring solution that not only tracks consumption (leaks, usage patterns, supply consistency) but also measures water quality (TDS, turbidity, contamination), and then transforms this data into actionable insights for households, water utilities, and suppliers (e.g., RO service providers, bottled water brands), enabling better operational alerts, tactical planning, and strategic decision-making?

This means you could build a smart device that tells families when their water quality is bad, alerts water companies about leaks, or helps service providers know when to visit customers.

Prizes and Rewards:

Cash Prizes (Total ₹80,000)

• 1st Place: ₹40,000
• 2nd Place: ₹25,000
• 3rd Place: ₹15,000

Educational Vouchers:

• Top 10 teams (40 students) get ₹25,000 vouchers each, for IIIT Delhi's Professional Development Program, where you can spend an immersive semester at IIITD in the iPD-CP program - an intensive program designed and delivered largely by industry professionals to take your idea to an industry-ready prototype. 
  

Startup Opportunities:

Promising teams get direct access to funding and business support through:

• IIIT-Delhi Innovation & Incubation Centre
• Electropreneur Park (Government of India)
• IHFC, IIT Delhi
• iHub Anubhuti, IIIT-Delhi

This means if your idea is really good, these organisations might help you turn it into a real business!

Who Can Participate?

Team Requirements

• Team Size: 2 to 4 members
• Student Status: Only current students can participate (college ID required)
• Team members can be from the same or different colleges/universities (cross-college teams allowed).

What You Need to Know:

• Basic understanding of Technology (NO need to be an Expert!)
• Willingness to Learn and Work Hard
• Interest in solving Real-world Problems
• Ability to attend all Offline events and Online review meetings

Rules and Guidelines:

• What's Allowed
  • Using Online Resources for Research
  • Getting help from Mentors during the Event
  • Using AI tools for Writing Presentations or Documentation (but you must mention this)
  • Working with your Team members to Develop Ideas
• What's NOT Allowed
  • Copying someone else's Idea or Solution
  • Using AI to generate your Main Idea or Product Design
  • Having someone outside your team do the Work for you
  • Missing Review Meetings (automatic disqualification)
  • Submitting Late (automatic disqualification)

Important Requirements:

• Your solution must combine Hardware (physical components), Software (apps/programs), and Product design (how it looks and works)
• All work must be Original and created by your team
• You must attend ALL review meetings
• All submissions must be on time

What We Provide:

• During Idea-Thon
  • Problem statements from Real industry Partners
  • Expert mentors to guide you
  • Workshop Space and Basic Materials
  • Wi-Fi and Refreshments
  • Guidance on Presentation and Video Creation
• During the Development Phase
  • Online mentoring sessions
  • Technical support through review meetings
  • Resource recommendations
  • Feedback on your progress
• During Product-a-Thon
  • Showcase space for demonstrations
  • Technical equipment for presentations
  • Panel of expert judges
  • Networking opportunities

Technical Resources Provided (For Round 2):

• Participants will receive structured support at every stage of the competition. This includes access to laboratory facilities, prototyping tools, hardware components, and dedicated mentorship sessions covering design thinking, STM32 development, and rapid prototyping methodologies.
• Laboratory Access: Fully equipped workbenches with professional-grade prototyping tools.
• Hardware Components: STM32, ESP32, Arduino development kits, sensors, actuators, and electronic components (subject to availability).
• Professional Equipment: Soldering stations, multimeters, and specialised testing equipment.
• Mentorship Sessions: Expert guidance on design thinking methodologies, STM32 development, and rapid prototyping techniques.
• Networking Infrastructure: High-speed Wi-Fi and cloud development access.

Evaluation Criteria:

• Innovation and Originality (25%): Creativity and uniqueness of the proposed solution.
• Technical Feasibility (25%): Realistic implementation plan and technical soundness.
• Industry Relevance and Impact (20%): Direct applicability to real-world challenges.
• Prototype Development (20%): Quality of demonstration and proof-of-concept execution.
• Presentation Clarity (10%): Effectiveness of communication and documentation.

Important Terms and Conditions:

• Intellectual Property: Teams retain full ownership of their intellectual property. Organisers request non-exclusive rights for promotional and academic showcase purposes only.
• Artificial Intelligence Usage: AI assistance is permitted for documentation and coding support, provided such use is fully disclosed. Completely AI-generated solutions or presentations are prohibited and will be treated as academic misconduct.

Contact Information

• Organised by: ECE Department, IIIT-Delhi
• In collaboration with: Centre for Intelligent Product Development (CiPD), IIIT-Delhi
• Email: cipd@iiitd.ac.in
• Phone: 98217-46831 (Mr. Aryan Mansoori), 98185-29954 (Mr. Aryan Jain)

Important Dates Summary

• Registration Deadline: September 11, 2025
• Idea-Thon: September 13, 2025
• Product-a-Thon: October 12, 2025

Frequently Asked Questions:

• Q: Do I need to know advanced programming? A: No! Basic technical knowledge is enough. You'll learn and get help during the event.
• Q: Do I need to bring my own materials? A: We'll provide basic materials for the Idea-Thon. For the development phase, we will arrange some components for you.
• Q: Can I work on my project after the development month ends? A: The competition judging is based on what you complete by October 12th, but you can continue developing your idea afterwards!
• Q: What happens if I win? A: You get cash prizes, professional development vouchers, and potential access to startup incubation programs!

Ready to solve real problems and build the future? Register now and start your journey from idea to product!
This is your chance to work on something that matters, learn from experts, win significant prizes, and potentially start your own company. Don't miss out!

Unveiling the challenges: Problem statements are live now at this Google Document!