KSUM announces ‘Build for India’, India’s Largest Agentic AI Hackathon

Kochi / January 28, 2026

Kochi, Jan 28: Billed as India’s largest event of its kind, Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) will hold ‘Build for India - Agentic AI Hackathon’, a national-level 24-hour hackathon focused on building next-generation autonomous AI systems. Scheduled to be held on February 27-28, the hackathon will bring together AI developers, startup founders, researchers, and advanced students from across India to build real-world Agentic AI solutions.
 
Agentic AI represents the next evolution of artificial intelligence systems that can plan, decide, act, and learn autonomously with minimal human intervention. As AI adoption
accelerates across sectors, the event aims to shift the focus from passive AI usage to hands- on, builder-first development of autonomous AI systems that can be deployed at scale.
 
The hackathon will focus on innovation tracks, including autonomous task agents, workflow and operations automation, decision-making agents, public service and governance
applications, and startup and enterprise productivity tools. Participants will compete for grant support of up to Rs 20 lakh each for selected teams, along with access to post-hack incubation, mentorship, industry connections, and funding opportunities through the KSUM ecosystem.
 
The programme is open to teams of 2-5 members, comprising AI developers, startup teams, researchers, and advanced students in AI, computer science, and data-related disciplines. Registrations are open to participants from across India, with teams to be shortlisted through an application process prior to the on-ground hackathon.
 
Through ‘Build for India’, KSUM, the nodal agency for entrepreneurship development under the Kerala Government, aims to strengthen India’s Agentic AI builder ecosystem, identify startup-ready AI products, and support their journey from prototype to scale.
 
Participants can apply on the weblink buildforindia.startupmission.in  The last date for registration is February 20. 

ENDS