National-Level Hackathon–SPECATHON 2026 kicks off in style

Metro India News | Hyderabad 

Innovation took center stage at St. Peter’s Engineering College on Friday as the 36-hour national-level hackathon-SPECATHON 2026 was inaugurated with participation from 65 shortlisted teams from across the country.

The event, being conducted on September 11 and 12, attracted more than 1,200 abstracts from different states before the best 65 teams were selected for the final round. Organized by the college’s CSE (AI & ML) ecosystem, the hackathon aims to provide students with an intensive platform to turn ideas into working technology solutions. The official event information describes SPECATHON as a 36-hour national hackathon focused on technology-driven solutions to real-world challenges.

The organizers said the competition is intended to promote creative thinking, problem-solving, technological proficiency, teamwork, and innovation among students. Over the 36-hour challenge, participants will work on their ideas and attempt to convert them into practical prototypes. Areas associated with the event include artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data science, IoT, blockchain, agriculture, AutoTech and waste management.

Secretary and Correspondent T. V. Reddy, Academic Director T. Saroja Reddy, Administrative Director T. Anuraag Reddy, Principal Dr. K. Venkata Rao, Vice Principal Dr. Prasanna Kumar, Dean of CSE Allied Departments Dr. E. Madhusudana Reddy and CSE (AI & ML) Head Dr. P. Deepan attended the inaugural programme along with faculty members and event coordinators.

Microsoft Senior Applied Scientist Tezan Sahu, M365 Core IDC – Copilot Extensibility, was the chief guest. TCS Senior Program Manager and college alumnus Thakur Akshay Singh, who also serves as a mentor, participated in the programme.

The guests urged students to make effective use of emerging technologies and strengthen their skills in line with industry expectations. Attractive prizes have been announced for the winners, with the event listing putting the overall prize pool at up to Rs 60,000.