Two-day national-level event attracts 1,500 students; women account for over 60% of registered participants
Warangal, October 10: The Tri-City AI Hackathon-2026 began at the Kakatiya Institute of Technology & Science, Warangal (KITSW), on Saturday. Organised by the Department of Computer Science and Engineering – Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (CSE-AIML), in association with Centle India, Hyderabad, the two-day national-level event is being held on October 10 and 11.
The event was inaugurated at the KITSW auditorium by former Husnabad MLA and KITSW Additional Secretary V. Satish Kumar, along with industry representatives, by lighting the ceremonial lamp. According to Principal Prof. K. Ashoka Reddy, the hackathon is being hosted as India’s first Tri-City AI Hackathon and has attracted around 1,500 students from across the country.
Speaking on the occasion, V. Satish Kumar said the initiative aims to develop Warangal, Hanamkonda and Kazipet into an emerging centre for artificial intelligence, technological innovation and entrepreneurship. He noted that women account for more than 60 per cent of registered participants, reflecting the growing interest of women students in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
Centle India founder Vamshi Guguloth said the hackathon offers a total cash prize pool of ₹50,000, internship opportunities within the Centle ecosystem, expert mentorship and opportunities for incubation consideration for outstanding projects. The initiative is designed to help students gain practical experience, develop innovative solutions and explore career and entrepreneurial opportunities.
In his presidential address, Principal Prof. K. Ashoka Reddy said innovation opportunities should extend beyond major metropolitan cities. He emphasised the importance of bringing students, industry professionals, mentors and academic leaders together to develop practical AI-based solutions to real-world challenges.
The inaugural programme was attended by Hanamkonda District Collector Chahat Bajpai, IAS; Warangal Police representative N. Swetha, IPS; V. Satish Kumar, Additional Secretary, KITSW; Prof. K. Ashoka Reddy, Principal, KITSW; and Dr. A. Jothi Prabha, Associate Professor and Head of the CSE (AI & ML) Department.
KITSW Registrar Prof. M. Komal Reddy, Administrative Officer Prof. P. Ramesh Reddy, Associate Professor and PRO Dr. D. Prabhakara Chary, senior faculty members Dr. Vinay Kumar, Dr. B. Hanumanthu and Dr. M. Rajesh, deans, heads of departments and faculty members also attended.
Other participants included G. Rajanna, Manager, GAIL India; Jagan, DVM, RTC; Kashiram, Circle Inspector, Police Department; Srinivas, Manager, Orient Insurance Company; Ashok, Director, Department of Sports, Government of Telangana; and Vamshidhar Reddy, Additional Corporate Director, DEET, Government of Telangana.
Representatives from the technology and industry sector included Vamshi Guguloth, Founder of Centle India and an IIM alumnus; G. Sai Krishna, Co-Founder of Centle India and an IIT alumnus; Kiran Kumar, Managing Director of B-Hub Media; and Dr. Sanjana, Operations Head at Conduira. Mentors, industry representatives, members of the Centle India leadership team and around 1,500 students participated in the event.
The hackathon aims to encourage young innovators to apply artificial intelligence to practical problems while strengthening the technology and entrepreneurship ecosystem in the Warangal tri-city region.
