GDG on Campus, SRM University-AP, organised the Google Solution Hunt Challenge 2026 on September 29, 2026, inviting students to look at their own campus as a place full of problems worth solving. Held from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM under the theme “Think. Build. Present. Solve.”, the challenge asked participants to identify genuine difficulties in student life, communication, facilities, events, sustainability and everyday campus activity, and to answer them with practical, implementable technology.
The response was considerable. The challenge drew 300 registrations, and with continuous holidays and the practicalities of running a full-day format to be considered, 70 teams were shortlisted to take part. The event was convened by Dr Puppala Naga Sravanthi, Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, who coordinated its planning and execution. It was supported and encouraged by Prof. C. V. Tomy, Dean, and Dr V. Manikandan, Head of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering.
The day began with an introduction to the challenge, during which participants were briefed on the format, objectives and evaluation criteria. The shortlisted teams then spent the day working through their problem statements together, identifying the stakeholders affected, brainstorming possible solutions and considering where technology could make a real difference. The emphasis throughout was on moving beyond an interesting idea towards a solution that could be built and used.
In the afternoon, each team presented its solution to a panel of 14 faculty members from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. The evaluators assessed teams on problem identification and relevance, understanding of the problem, innovation and creativity, APplication of technology, practical feasibility, potential impact, teamwork, and presentation and communication. The presentations also gave students the opportunity to defend their APproach and respond to direct questions from the panel, which many found as instructive as the building itself.
The event concluded at 5:00 PM with the recognition of the winning teams. TripodX secured the first prize of ₹6,000, Larpers took the second prize of ₹4,500, and TechBros received the third prize of ₹3,000, bringing the total prize pool to ₹13,500.
Beyond the results, the challenge gave students a view of the complete problem-solving cycle, from identifying a problem and analysing it, through ideation and solution development, to presentation and evaluation. Participants strengthened their analytical thinking, teamwork, creativity, communication and decision-making, along with a clearer sense of what it takes to make an idea feasible.
The initiative reflects the purpose of GDG on Campus, which is to encourage students to learn, collaborate, build and solve real-world problems using technology. By directing that effort at the campus community itself, the Google Solution Hunt Challenge 2026 showed students that technology is a practical tool for improving the places where they live and work, and it strengthened a culture of innovation and collaboration at SRM University-AP.
