IIT Ropar’s ANNAM.AI, Syngenta and Google and Launch HACK CORE 2026 AI Hackathon for India’s Agriculture
29 June 2026, New Delhi: ANNAM.AI, India’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture, established at IIT Ropar under the Ministry of Education, Government of India, has launched HACK CORE 2026, a national AI hackathon in collaboration with Syngenta and Google. The initiative aims to bring together India’s innovation ecosystem to develop artificial intelligence solutions addressing key agricultural challenges, including crop health, pest and disease management, soil intelligence, climate-resilient farming, and the adoption of biological crop protection technologies.
The nationwide hackathon is open to students, researchers, developers, startups and early-career technologists interested in artificial intelligence, agriculture, data science and sustainable innovation. Participants will have the opportunity to develop practical AI solutions that can contribute to improving farm productivity, sustainability and decision-making across India’s agricultural sector.
Beyond the competition, HACK CORE 2026 offers participants access to mentorship from experts at ANNAM.AI and Syngenta, hands-on exposure to agricultural research, and opportunities to collaborate with industry specialists. Winning teams will receive Google Cloud credits to support further development of their AI applications. The overall winning team will also earn a visit to Syngenta’s Research Centre in Atessa, Italy, where they will gain first-hand exposure to advanced biological research facilities and innovation programs.
Applications for HACK CORE 2026 are currently open and will close on July 21, 2026. Interested participants can register and access detailed information through the official HACK CORE portal.
36-Hour Innovation Sprint at IIT Ropar
A key highlight of the programme is a 36-hour Build Sprint hosted at IIT Ropar. Shortlisted teams will work alongside researchers, industry experts and mentors to transform their concepts into functional prototypes capable of addressing real-world agricultural challenges. The sprint is designed to encourage scalable, field-ready innovations that can deliver measurable benefits to farmers.
AI and Biologicals Driving Sustainable Agriculture
Commenting on the initiative, Dr. Pushpendra P. Singh, Project Director, ANNAM.AI, IIT Ropar, said that as agriculture increasingly shifts towards sustainable and climate-resilient practices, biological products are emerging as an important alternative to conventional crop protection solutions. He noted that artificial intelligence presents a significant opportunity to improve farm productivity while supporting environmental sustainability, adding that HACK CORE 2026 aims to bring together India’s brightest innovators to develop practical technology-led solutions for some of agriculture’s most pressing challenges.
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