Review of Inter IIT Tech Meet 13.0 @ IIT Bombay

The Inter IIT Tech Meet 13.0 took place from 11th to 14th December 2024 and was hosted by IIT Bombay. It is a contest between IITs to prove technical prowess, justifying the T in IITs and above all, acting as a platform for students to solve industry-relevant problems from companies using technical skills. This article covers the organisational aspect of Inter IIT Tech along with the preparation and participation aspect of IIT Bombay’s contingent based on extensive interviews with the Overall Coordinators, Manas Agrawal and Kushal Agarwal and the Contingent Leaders, Arhaan Ahmad and Aryan Mishra of this Meet.

The Inter IIT Tech Meet 2024 was particularly special, as all 23 IITs united for the first time in its 13th edition, overcoming past administrative hurdles that had led to absences in previous years. This year’s winners included IIT Kharagpur, which secured the first position, followed by IIT Bombay and IIT Guwahati. 

One of the Overall Coordinators reflected saying, “I’m incredibly proud of what we have achieved. Organising Inter IIT Tech Meet 13.0 was an honor and a challenge. It’s not just about hosting a competition; it’s about creating a platform where the brightest minds come together to solve real-world problems.”

When asked about this year’s Inter IIT result, the CLs said:

“We came overall second this year, which is amazing. There has been a consistent improvement in our overall position—second place this year, third place last year, and fourth place the year before that. Both of us had participated in previous years*, and this year as well, and we noticed increasing excitement among participants each year. That’s definitely something to look forward to.” 

Behind the Scenes: Organising the Inter IIT Tech Meet 13.0

How does the process begin, and how is the baton of organisers passed to another IIT?

The process began back in May–June last year, during the closing board meet of Inter IIT Tech Meet 12.0, hosted by IIT Madras. Convened by the General Secretary of Technical Affairs of the host institute, this meeting marked the formal handover of responsibilities for the next edition of the Tech Meet. When the floor was opened for bids, IIT Bombay was the only institute to step forward to host Inter IIT 13.0. The bidding process involves submitting a detailed proposal, which includes the event dates, competition domains, logistical arrangements, and networking events. The proposal is first evaluated by the DoSA of the bidding IIT and then the General Secretaries of all IITs.

How long has the discussion about hosting Inter IIT Tech at IIT Bombay been going on?

The decision for IIT Bombay to host this year’s event wasn’t spontaneous. It had been in discussion for the past two to three years within the Institute Technical Council (ITC), particularly after conducting the 7.0 edition.. When the new General Secretary took charge this year, the groundwork for this decision had been laid.

What does the Organising Team structure look like?

The organising team formation begins with the selection of two Overall Coordinators (OCs) leading the team and managers overseeing various portfolios. These portfolios included Corporate Relations for the Pan IIT Tech & R&D Expo, Hospitality, Operations, Creatives, Media, and Discord.

The OCs further explained that to secure Problem Statements (PS) from companies, a dedicated portfolio called Industrial Outreach was established. However, the responsibility for finalising Problem Statements largely rested with the Overall Coordinators due to the need for strict confidentiality.

What were the different events in the Inter IIT Tech Meet?

The Tech Meet officially began on December 11th with an Opening Ceremony, held in the presence of the Dean SA and the Director of IIT Bombay. 

The tech meet comprises various problem statements (PS) that fall into four main categories: High prep, mid prep, low prep, and no prep, depending on their rigour and duration.The problem statements this year revolved around diverse areas such as product development, quantitative finance, consulting, robotics, and more. Along with this, there were also competitions like the Students’ Academic Conference and Engineers’ Conclave. 

The No Prep challenges require no prior preparation and were conducted offline at the IIT Bombay campus. The No Prep category this year included three challenges in the domains of Mathematics, Astronomy, and Robotics. While these problems demand less preparatory work, they are just as intense because of the short timelines and on the spot problem solving.

When asked about the preparation for the Tech Meet, the OCs mentioned that it begins months in advance. During the event, daily presentations are scheduled along with hardware demonstrations of selected problem statements, where teams showcase their solutions. These presentations are judged by representatives from the companies that provided the PS. Throughout the process, Overall Coordinators maintain strict confidentiality of team identities and IIT affiliations, providing clear guidelines for companies.

What was the highlight of this year’s Tech Meet?

According to the Overall Coordinators, a highlight of this year’s meet was the Pan IIT Tech R&D Expo, which went beyond its 10-year tradition by inviting tech teams from all IITs, not just IIT Bombay. Hosted at the Old Swimming Pool, it showcased innovations like motorsports cars, drone technology, etc. and offered a platform for networking and collaboration. This year’s event saw strong participation from junior team members, sparking technical discussions and problem-solving sessions beyond just competition. With 37 displays, it successfully brought students, professors and representatives from industries together and encouraged collaboration across campuses.

The OCs also talked about some events that were organised post the three days of rigorous presentations. On 13th December, there was a concert by Dream Note. On 14th December, after the end of the tech board meet and release of results, the Inter IIT closing ceremony happened for the first time post-COVID in the presence of the company officials, Deans, and FacAds, in the convocation hall. After that, a networking dinner in old SAC brought 1600+ attendees from 23 IITs to one place to interact, share knowledge, and create networks for future collaborations. 

Budget and Logistics

When the OCs were asked about expenditure on problem statements to be put in by IITs, they explained that the meet’s budget was sourced primarily from three avenues:

1. Registration and accommodation fees, covered by participating IITs.
2. Problem statement sponsorships by companies.
3. Institute allocated budget via Dean SA.

Expenditures revolved around logistics, including hospitality, ambience, and expo setups. 

Similarly, when the contingent leaders were asked about the fund allocations, they said that each team was encouraged to use the best resources and consequently come up with the best solutions. Only a few problem statements that were hardware-oriented required major funding. The rest of the problem statements were software-oriented and required funds for servers, premium versions of softwares, and more. 

What are Contentions and how are they addressed?

A lesser-known aspect of the Tech Meet is contentions—challenges raised by the audience during presentations. Technical contentions, questioning the validity of solutions, are addressed immediately by judges via a tech-contention portal. Non-technical contentions, like anonymity breaches or late submissions, are resolved in the 10+ hour Closing Tech Board Meet, where representatives from each IIT debate penalties and try to reach a consensus on fair resolutions.

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Preparation and Performance of the IITB Contingent at Inter IIT Tech Meet 13.0

After a commendable performance by IIT Bombay at the Inter IIT Tech Meet 13.0, Insight interviewed the Contingent Leaders Arhaan Ahmad and Aryan Mishra about the performance, strategies and preparation levels from this edition.

Team Selection:

The team selection for each problem statement starts by selecting the Problem Statement (PS) leads. They are responsible for managing their team and ensuring it performs well in that PS. The Contingent Leaders (CLs) release a google form for each PS, inviting applications for team members. To select the PS leads, the CLs consider the Google form responses. The CLs also ask people, who they think would be suited for a particular PS to fill out the Google form. 

No assignments or tasks are conducted for selecting the PS leads because of the limited time between the release of the problem statement and the team submission. Hence, the CLs tend to prioritise professional/academic experience through projects/internships in dealing with similar problem statements, though they conduct thorough interviews to select the PS leads. The PS leads are expected to have a deep understanding of the problem statement and should possess essential soft skills like good communication, leadership experience, the ability to delegate, etc.

After the selection of the PS leads, they are responsible for the selection of the rest of the team. This is done by considering the same Google form responses and subsequently conducting interviews. They seek individuals with a solid grasp of the problem and the requisite technical and soft skills.

Team Preparation:

Preparations commence as soon as the team is selected. The CLs start looking for rooms in the academic area and department buildings, where the team can sit and work together. Students dedicated a significant amount of time, around 3 hours everyday during the semester and even more after that leading up to the Meet.

Before work begins, the PS leads create a timeline with deadlines for the entire team. The CLs ensure that the team adheres to these guidelines for smooth functioning. Moreover, the CLs connect them to alumni and other participants that can provide regular feedback on the solutions. 

A final presentation has to be submitted by each team around three to four days before the actual presentation. This is because teams need time to travel to the host location, and these four days are reserved for transit. 

The CLs shared their thoughts on this year’s preparations:

“We spent significant time refining our pitches. Multiple mock presentations were conducted for each problem statement, and we invited seniors to provide feedback. This helped ensure we were confident and well-prepared for our presentations.”

Role of the GSTA, CM (Contingent Manager) and CLs:

This year’s contingent did not have a Contingent Manager. While most logistical requirements were managed by students from the Institute Technical Council, other administrative tasks, such as room bookings and payments, were handled by the GSTA.

In addition to overseeing team selection and preparation, CLs attended the final day presentations for each PS and ensured that teams had all necessary resources to perform at their best.

What strategies did the CLs use to encourage better participation and achieve a better rank?

We asked the CLs in our interviews with them, if they had any strategies to encourage participation and achieve a better rank. 

The team selection began early this year, right after the mid-semester exams of the Autumn semester. The CLs reached out to people who had participated in similar events earlier or had internships in relevant domains, explaining to them how Inter IIT works and encouraging participation. They also organized open houses, both for the entire institute and specific hostels, to clarify the Inter IIT process and address any doubts. These sessions helped foster a transparent relationship between the contingent leaders and participants, ensuring that students knew whom to approach for queries. Additionally, five former Inter IIT participants were invited to share their experiences, providing valuable insights to potential participants.

Did hosting Inter IIT give us any home-field advantage?

When asked whether hosting Inter IIT on campus provided a home-field advantage or disadvantage, the contingent leaders stated that it had little impact. They acknowledged that the organizing team did an excellent job in ensuring fairness and equal opportunities for all participants. The resources provided were the same for every team, and no unfair advantage was given. The only advantage the host team had was the lack of travel, which allowed them to use that time to refine their preparations.

Can ITC adopt initiatives to foster a better tech culture within the institute?

According to the contingent leaders, the nature of work in any problem statement closely resembles how tech teams function in competitions—operating in a high-paced environment with strict deadlines. Students with prior tech team experience tend to perform better in the Inter IIT Tech Meet. However, they stressed that such opportunities should not be limited to tech team members. By maintaining the culture of the Inter IIT Tech Meet throughout the year through various contests and initiatives, the institute could foster a more robust technical atmosphere.

Why did IIT Kharagpur finish at the top, and what can be learned from them?

The CLs attributed IIT Kharagpur’s success to their rich and immaculate tech culture. They went on to mention that participation in Inter IIT is a priority for most students at IIT Kgp and students specifically dedicate time for it. 

The CLs also highlighted that IIT Bombay has a lot of potential and can perform extremely well, but we can improve the problem solving outlook that we have. 

“ It’s about putting in consistent effort throughout the process. Make sure that you know, you’re working towards the goal with 120% of everything you’ve got till the last day.” 

We at Insight extend our heartfelt congratulations to both the organising team and the entire IITB contingent for a successful Inter IIT Tech Meet. While the Inter IIT Tech Meet holds great significance, it often doesn’t receive the recognition it deserves. However, observing the participants’ impactful problem-solving contributions to companies is truly educational.

Securing a second-place finish, after years of steady progress, is a promising sign for the institute’s growing tech culture—perhaps even paving the way for a Gold in the next edition.

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