The Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science (HITS), Chennai, hosted Intellithon 2025 – AI Grand Challenge, a 24-hour national-level hackathon that drew some of the country’s brightest young innovators.

Organized in partnership with Zoho Corporation and powered by the Catalyst by Zoho platform, the event formed a key part of HITS’ Ruby Jubilee celebrations.

The hackathon focused on leveraging artificial intelligence to address critical global challenges.

Participants were tasked with developing scalable, technology-driven solutions aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — including Good Health and Well-being (SDG 3), Quality Education (SDG 4), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), and Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11).

Over 500 students across 100 teams, guided by more than 50 industry mentors, competed for a ₹1 lakh prize pool, presenting innovative ideas aimed at creating measurable social impact.

Continuous mentoring by 18 Zoho experts throughout the event enhanced the quality and real-world applicability of the projects.

Beyond the competition, Intellithon 2025 fostered stronger collaboration between academia and industry in the fields of research, innovation, and sustainability, reaffirming HITS’ commitment to nurturing young talent and advancing AI-led solutions to address society’s most pressing issues.