“Environment is no one’s property to destroy; it’s everyone’s responsibility to protect.” – Mohith Agadi
The world is growing by leaps and bounds. We have seen technology at its peak, and life has never been this easier. Still, there is a lot that must be done regarding the environment. We have seen how our advancement harms the environment and nature around us. As a part of the community, one should focus on preserving mother nature. There is a lot of research being conducted to fulfill the sustainable development goals. There are 17 Sustainable Development Goals like Zero Hunger, No Poverty, Good Health and Well-Being, Quality Education, etc. Youth is an integral part of all the change we see. The young students and budding entrepreneurs are aware of the sustainable development goals.
To take this awareness to the next level and encourage young entrepreneurs to care much more about the environment, Hexagon Aerospace, under the aegis of the Division of Student Welfare, Lovely Professional University, along with the Student Entrepreneurship Cell, Lovely Professional University, conducted a StartUp Hackathon. It was sponsored by StartUp Punjab. The Hackathon was unique because each team had to build a business based on the Sustainable Development Goals. They were given a problem statement spontaneously and had to put their thinking hats on for the next 24 hours. I participated in this Startup Hackathon, and it was an entirely new experience for me.
The Hackathon started with encouraging and inspirational speeches by the dignitaries. Senior Dean & Head Student welfare wing, LPU, Dr. Sorabh Lakhanpal boosted the morale of the students and directed them to think big. With the wise words of the jury panel and the guests from StartUp Punjab, the competition got the best start. Everybody started working on their respective problems. Right after that, sessions were conducted by the mentors from the Entrepreneurship Cell. The sessions were on creativity, where we had to fill the presentations and deeply research and brainstorm the ideas. I saw everybody be highly dedicated all the time. Everybody was discussing at their round table. There were students from various departments working together to bring out a viable solution to the problems. The arrangements were really well. The best thing was that mentors like Dr. Kanishka Jha were mentoring us the whole time. We could ask them their doubts all the time. Although the Hackathon was for us, I never saw the mentors resting for some time.
The cheerful and energetic faces of the organizers of SEC, Hexagon Aerospace and the faculty filled the environment with dedication. In the morning, Government Officials who were also on the jury panel greeted us. After 24 hours of constant work, we all got to present our business plans to the judges. It was like an actual boardroom where startups pitch their ideas. After listening to the intriguing ideas, the jury declared the results. The jury said the winners could get funding and a cash prize.
It was indeed a once-in-a-lifetime experience made possible by Hexagon Aerospace, Student Entrepreneurship Cell, LPU. This was also a pre-event for the most significant space camp at Lovely Professional University. The Space Camp 2022 India has exciting competitions, workshops, and events with a big prize pool. You can register on the official website: https://spacecampindia.in/
