The Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering at JSS Science and Technology University organised the ‘SruJSShTi 2026 – EC Hackathon’, a 24-hour innovation-driven technical event focusing on Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), Signal Processing, and Communication technologies.

The event was organised under the guidance of the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering in association with IQAC and the Institution’s Innovation Council.

Srinath Rangaswamy, co-founder of Digibull, an AI automation consultant and business growth strategist, Mysuru, was the chief guest. The event was presided over by A.N. Santosh Kumar, Vice-Chancellor of JSS STU, Mysuru. Among those present were C. Nataraju, S.A. Dhanaraj, Sudarshan Patil Kulkarni, and Gayitri H.M.

In his address, Mr. Rangaswamy encouraged students to focus on innovation and real-world problem-solving rather than just theoretical studies. He spoke about modern technological ecosystems, emphasising the importance of APIs, command-line proficiency, JavaScript, UI/UX simplification, Docker containers, and scalable development practices.

He highlighted emerging trends shaping the future of technology, including Agentic AI, autonomous computing systems, hardware-software integration, DevOps-oriented system architectures, open-source contributions, GPU-intensive AI infrastructure, and AI-assisted “vibe coding”. He also discussed the growing transition towards English-based coding approaches powered by Artificial Intelligence.

Dr. Kumar stressed the significance of sustainable technological development and underscored the need for Green Data Centres and the efficient utilisation of GPUs in Artificial Intelligence and high-performance computing systems. He encouraged participants to develop innovative projects related to agriculture and technology-driven solutions for India’s farming sector.

Shivaprasad N., of JSS STU, gave an overview of the hackathon guidelines, judging criteria, and expectations from participating teams. Students from different semesters participated in the event with innovative ideas aimed at addressing real-world challenges through technology.