Hackathon is youth chapter of the story of Singapore-India
Education Minister Pralhad Joshi has told 120 participants of the Singapore-India Hackathon 2026 to think beyond boundaries as they seek innovative solutions.
Kicking off the three-day hackathon on 15 Nov, he said, “Think beyond boundaries. Do not limit your solution to a single campus or the country.”
“Build it for humanity. Embrace the collaboration, listen to your teammates from across the sea,” he told participants at the fourth edition of hackathon held by institutions from the two countries.
Whenever India has built, it has built for humanity, said Joshi, pointing out that India sent vaccines to nearly 100 countries during Covid 19.
He also reminded the students at the 36-hour marathon event that Singapore and India are working towards innovation sandboxes, joint training centres, and faculty exchanges, as well as a future where a skill certificate earned in India is valid in Singapore.
“This hackathon is the youth chapter of the story of our two nations. As Prime Minister Modi remarked during the first edition in 2018, this hackathon is a boost to the technology, innovation, and youth power of our two nations,” Press Trust of India quoted Joshi as saying at the hackathon in Singapore.
Today seeing the 60 of India’s bright minds with 60 of Singapore’s finest, that vision is more vibrant than ever. “What makes this hackathon really special is its spirit of co-creation. When Indian creativity meets the Singaporean precision and global connectivity, the possibilities are limitless,” said Joshi, also the minister of consumer affairs, public and food distributions and new and renewable energy.
Joining Joshi at the Hackathon kick-off was Singapore Minister for education Desmond Lee, who encouraged the participants forge strong connections with fellow participants. “The competition will end in three days. But the relationships you build here can last long after you return to your campuses. Over time, these connections can become bridges between our societies, creating more opportunities for our people,” said Lee.
The teams came from 55 institutes of higher learning in Singapore and India. The fourth hackathon themed, “Build a Better Future”, was is being held at the Singapore Management University (SMU) from 15 to 17 Nov, 2026. It was attended by 250 academics, students, sponsors and government officials, according to SMU.
Organised this year by SMU’s Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SMU IIE), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the Indian Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell, in collaboration with TiE Singapore, the local chapter of The Indus Entrepreneurs.
First proposed in 2018 to then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he was on a visit to Singapore, the Singapore–India Hackathon is a bilateral platform designed to deepen collaboration between the academic, innovation and start-up ecosystems of both countries. fiinews.com
