Kolkata, September 19, 2026: Guru Nanak Institute of Technology (GNIT), a JIS Group educational initiative, successfully hosted Metamorph 2.0, a 36-hour national hackathon that brought together students and young innovators from educational institutions across India.
More than 400 teams participated in the initial rounds, with 37 teams qualifying for the final stage, comprising 28 software and nine hardware teams. Participants included teams from institutions such as Sharda University, University of Delhi, Manipal University Jaipur and IIT Madras.
The event began with an inauguration ceremony attended by Prof. (Dr.) Swarup Kumar Mitra, Principal, GNIT, along with faculty members, participants and invited guests. Chief Guest Anish Das, Inspector, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), spoke about the importance of technology, professional discipline and problem-solving, drawing on his experience across engineering, banking and customs enforcement.
Over the course of 36 hours, the participating teams worked continuously to conceptualise, develop and refine technology-based solutions to real-world challenges. The hackathon tested not only their technical skills but also creativity, teamwork, leadership, time management and adaptability.
In the Software Track, Team Pista Barfi from Asansol Engineering College emerged as the winner with Opalite, an integrated visual branding workspace. Team Nano Pineapple from JIS College of Engineering secured the First Runner-Up position with Vestigium, a cryptographic AI code-provenance and security platform, while Team Pikachu, also from JIS College of Engineering, was named Second Runner-Up for StayOnTask, an AI Agent Safety Harness.
In the Hardware Track, Team Gach Lagan from NSHM College of Management and Technology emerged as the winner with its Quantum-Resilient Telemetry Encryption Model. Team System-F from Future Institute of Engineering and Management secured the First Runner-Up position.
The event also recognised emerging talent and diversity through special awards. Team Valkyrie from GNIT received the Best Beginner’s Team award for NoticeIQ, an AI-powered digital campus platform. Team Heroi Krush from RCC Institute of Information Technology (RCCIIT) received the Best All-Girls Team award for Friday, a collaborative product-development workspace.
The hackathon concluded with the felicitation of the winning teams and appreciation of the core committee, faculty members, student coordinators, committee SPOCs and volunteers for their efforts in successfully organising the event.
Speaking on the occasion, Sardar Simarpreet Singh, Director, JIS Group, said, “Metamorph 2.0 highlights JIS Group’s commitment to creating platforms where young minds can transform ideas into meaningful technological solutions. The participation of students from institutions across India demonstrates the growing enthusiasm for innovation, collaboration and problem-solving among the next generation.”
