The Lenovo Leap AI Hackathon 2026, an artificial intelligence–focused innovation programme, saw enthusiastic participation from students across Goa. A total of 150 teams (300 students) from 25 General colleges, 5 Engineering colleges, NIT Goa participated in this state-level event which was held on 29th January 2026 at Padre Conceicao College of Engineering, Verna, Goa.
The Hackathon was organised by the Directorate of Higher Education, Government of Goa, and BharatCares & CSRBOX, in collaboration with Lenovo, to strengthen student engagement with emerging technologies.
The event marked the beginning of Converge 3.0, an industry–academia summit organised under the theme “Innovate, Integrate, Impact: Building Goa’s Future-Ready Changemakers”.
The event aimed to build awareness and practical skills in artificial intelligence through hands-on learning. Students worked in teams to develop AI-based solutions for real-world problems. These projects were aligned with the IndiaAI Mission and national development priorities.
Participants worked on themes such as AI in Education & Skilling, Digital Inclusion & Public Access, Healthcare & Wellness Technology, Smart Cities & Public Services, Smart Agriculture & Rural Innovation, and Sustainable Living & Environment. Each theme encouraged students to use AI to address important societal challenges.
The hackathon followed a structured, multi-phase format. Teams received mentoring and were evaluated at different stages. Shortlisting was done based on innovation, relevance of the problem, technical feasibility, use of AI, impact, and presentation quality.
The top 20 teams were from colleges, namely: PCCE, NIT Goa, Govt College, Quepem, AITD, DMC, Assagao, GEC and DBCE. The Lenovo Leap AI Hackathon 2026 provided a strong platform for young minds in Goa to explore artificial intelligence. It helped students sharpen their problem-solving skills and develop responsible, future-ready solutions. The event also highlighted the state’s commitment to innovation-led education.
The hackathon was coordinated from DHE by Dr. Niyan Marchon and Ainsley Bernard. Pratima , Sivakumar from Lenovo, Bhomik Shah, Shrilaxmi , Dhanraj and team from Bharat Cares executed the hackathon. Dr. Razia Sardinia and team coordinated the Labs at the campus and Suhesha Goankar and team covered the event.
