Guide · Delhi NCR · 2026
Best Hackathons in Delhi
Delhi NCR packs the densest cluster of engineering campuses in India — IIT Delhi, DTU, NSUT, IIIT-Delhi, NSIT, plus the Noida and Gurgaon belts. That means a hackathon calendar that runs almost year-round, and a fest season (Jan–March) where three codefests can collide on the same weekend.
| Hackathon | Host | Venue | Month | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tryst Hackathon | IIT Delhi (Tryst) | IIT Delhi, Hauz Khas | March | 36h in-person |
| Engifest Codefest | DTU | Delhi Technological University | February | 24h |
| Moksha HackNSUT | NSUT | NSUT Dwarka | February | 24h |
| Esya Hackathon | IIIT-Delhi | IIIT-Delhi, Okhla | August | 24h product sprint |
| Confluence Hack | NSIT / South Campus chapters | South Delhi | October | 24h |
| HackIndia Delhi | Devfolio + Web3 partners | Connaught Place area | July | 30h Web3 |
| Smart India Hackathon (Delhi nodal) | MoE Innovation Cell | Rotating NCR campuses | Aug / Dec | 36h problem-statement |
| Gurgaon Startup Hack | NCR startup ecosystem | Cyber Hub, Gurgaon | November | 24h fintech / SaaS |
| Noida DevJam | Amity / GNIOT chapters | Noida Sector 62/125 | April | 24h beginner-friendly |
Months and formats reflect each event's typical recent edition — always confirm dates on the official listing before booking travel.
What makes Delhi's circuit different
Two distinct scenes overlap here. The campus scene runs inside big cultural fests — Tryst (IIT Delhi), Engifest (DTU), Moksha (NSUT), Esya (IIIT-Delhi) — so the hackathon is one track in a much larger weekend, with big footfall and tight 24-hour formats. The corporate scene sits in Gurgaon and Noida, where product companies run fintech, SaaS and AI hackathons with hiring intent attached.
Fest season: plan for collisions
January to March is the crunch. Registrations typically open 4–6 weeks ahead and close early once caps fill, and two flagship fests often land on the same weekend. Shortlist by track (AI/ML, hardware, cybersecurity, Web3) rather than by campus name, and keep a backup event for the same weekend.
Smart India Hackathon and problem-statement hacks
Delhi is a regular nodal region for Smart India Hackathon, which works differently from an open hackathon: you pick a published government problem statement, register as a college-nominated team, and clear an internal campus round first. Start internal selection at least a month before the national deadline.
Preparing for a 24-hour Delhi hack
- Lock your team of 3–4 before registration — most caps are per team, not per person.
- Carry a college ID; campus security in NCR checks it at the gate for outside participants.
- Metro timings matter: many venues are a long walk from the nearest station after midnight.
- Bring your own extension board and a deployable starter template — setup time is scoring time.
- Winter hacks (Dec–Feb) get genuinely cold in unheated halls; pack layers.