How Smart India Hackathon (SIH) participation has helped me strengthen my competency and enhance my skill-sets.

Our team ended our conference call on the note that we should sleep on it after a particularly intense session of discussion. I was exhausted from the two days we had reviewed literature, discussed the pros and cons of various designs and refined our take on the way we approach the problem of capturing energy derived from the power of water in an economical yet sustainable manner. There were several problems to tackle and lots of ideas that we put together. But that moment where everything just falls into place and that cartoon light bulb lights up above our heads, makes all the effort and time well spent.

This is what it means to take up a project - The learning opportunity, the skills and experience, the joy of success and the bitterness of failure.
Team discussions with our panellists
The thought of attending a hackathon can be daunting for a first-year engineering student, mostly if you are a beginner and if it is nationwide one at that! Smart India Hackathon or SIH is a national level 36 hours long competition where students from all over India build solutions for problem statements provided by the different Ministries of India as well as Companies. The problem statements given are no simple feat. They are day to day problems with great social impact ,that can be tackled in a variety of ways through technology. SIH has provided us with this wonderful platform to showcase the skills we have learnt over the months, exposing us to the vast world of ideas that give us a new perspective , critical thinking to the questions posed by the esteemed judges and constant motivation and empowerment to achieve great things. This hackathon has not only helped me gain an out-of-the-box thinking mindset, but also improved my competency, technical skills , management and team-building skills. These are 5 of the many things I would like to tell you.

Learn new skills
I come from a biotechnology background, a field that has little to do with rotors and nacelles. I had to read a lot on fluid mechanics, dynamics and statics before starting this project. That is the beauty of engineering, every subject is interconnected in some way. I have used my knowledge of biomimicry to design the blades of the turbine. And in return, I have gained extensive knowledge in the flow of fluids, energy conversion ,efficiency and metal casting. Through the course of this project little did I know I would delve into topics as far fetched as Government policies and Business Model canvasing . This is going to give me a head start to solve interesting and real-world challenges in the new digital India.

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts
This hackathon has encouraged me to work with new people. Our team consisted of people from mechanical, biotech and computer science backgrounds. We were all lost in the beginning moving in six different directions. I slowly learnt to respect the skills and limitations of myself and the members. Once we found our groove, the six of us assigned tasks, had a common database, had lengthy discussions and found our niche in the project. We set goals, priorities and deadlines for tasks , communicated everyday ,collaborated and most importantly held each other accountable for the tasks assigned. Everyone knew what part of the project they wanted to work on- there were design and framework, documentation, electrical components, the buoyancy mechanism, materials and simulations that had to be done. We had to learn a plethora of skills like CAD modelling, simulation, research ,UI and circuiting. It eventually led to a wonderful idea that we called Bia after the Greek Goddess personifying Power. Through the course of the preparation and the hackathon, I had realised that we had to grow as a team and individually not only in technical skills but also soft skills. I would like to thank my team members Dhananjay( team captain ) ,Vaishnavi, Advait, Shivangi and Darshan for teaching and guiding me through every step of the process. Boundaries are not set in stone Good communication is necessary to deliver your ideas clearly and concisely yet keep the audience engaged. For an introvert like myself, it was intimidating to talk in front of a big crowd but the adrenaline rush just kicked in from talking about the project I had worked tirelessly on. Naturally, I stammered and got lost for words but I had taken my first step to alleviate my fear. I now understand the impact communication has to make or break a project.

Benefits of Research
Your research on the topic should be outstanding to answer questions posed by your panellist and peers. We were asked a range of questions from the material we would use, ideal locations and potential problems that were foreseen. This constructive criticism gave us food for thought and has helped us make the project better. The SIH team also provided us with webinars and Masterclasses on Machine learning, Fundamentals of IoT and AI. They were extremely informative and inspiring.

Clarity of thought
Finally, our presentation skills were put to the test when we had to put together a summary of our project in just three slides! There was a lot of editing but in the end, it helped us refine our thoughts and say what was needed and eliminate the fluff. It was a day filled with laughter, nervousness, adrenaline and joy. A humbling experience. We were one of the five teams to get selected to represent our college. We were extremely proud of what we had accomplished.However we did not get selected in round two.
The thought of putting something together that would change the course of everyday life and our modern world, still spurs us on to finish what we had started. So this is my take - As a first year you will surely try to talk yourself out of a hackathon, but I highly recommend giving SIH a go next year. It may open a door of opportunities or in the least gain a few new friends in the process!