Hyderabad: From a solar-powered fish drying solution for coastal women to stealth-enabling cyber defence components for MSMEs, students and startups presented bold, practical innovations at JNTU-Hyderabad on Monday as part of the MSME Idea Hackathon 5.0.
Held at the University College of Engineering Science and Technology for Women, the evaluation meet was organised by the university’s Entrepreneurship Development Cell (EDC). Over 115 ideas were presented, with 40 shortlisted for incubation and up to ₹15 lakh in grant support under the MSME Innovative Scheme.
The ideas tackled urgent needs in India’s small and medium-scale sector, including resilient supply chains, low-carbon industrial processes, affordable rural tech, and MSME-ready Industry 4.0/5.0 tools. Students were encouraged to design not just ‘smart’ solutions, but ones that are feasible, scalable and rooted in ground realities.
“The solutions we saw ranged from high-tech stealth applications to practical agri-tech devices. What impressed us most was how many tackled MSME-specific problems with a mix of creativity and realism,” said one jury member speaking to DC.
Evaluation was carried out by a panel of industry and academic experts including Dr. Sharath Chandra Reddy, Ashwin Kumar Tirukkovaluri, Dr. Chandrasekhar Nizhankari, and Dr. M. Chakravarthy, among others. Proposals were judged based on novelty, technical strength, MSME impact, and commercial viability.
Each of the 40 selected ideas will now move into incubation with mentoring, development and possible financial backing of up to ₹15 lakh per project.
JNTU-H principal Prof. G.V. Narasimha Reddy, EDC coordinator Dr K. Naga Sujatha, and electrical and electronics engineering head of department Dr K.H. Phani Sri said such hackathons serve as crucial bridges between academia and industry, turning campus innovations into viable MSME solutions.
He added that the event aligned with the MSME Ministry’s push for decentralised innovation, sustainable industrial practices and targeted support to entrepreneurs in smaller towns and underserved sectors.