PHASE 01
Build the Innovation Ecosystem
15–30 Sep 2026
Mentor nomination, student tech-team formation, external mentor onboarding and ORION portal launch.
Sri Sri University • Bhubaneswar
ORION 2027
THE SSU HACKATHON — From Ideas to Impact
Creation. Construction. Building. Bringing ideas into existence — planting the seed of innovation and nurturing it into meaningful, sustainable impact.
15 Sep 2026Journey begins
04Phases of Evolution
12–13 Feb 2027Grand Finale
About ORION 2027
More than a competition. A structured innovation journey.
ORION 2027 connects students, faculty mentors, external experts, R&D professionals and startup founders through a staged journey: identify meaningful problems, design solutions, develop prototypes, review progress and present impact at the Grand Finale.
01
Identify
Discover and validate real-world problems through empathy, field exploration, stakeholder interaction and research.
02
Innovate
Work across disciplines with mentors to transform validated problems into feasible, purposeful solution concepts.
03
Build & Impact
Develop working prototypes, improve them through feedback and demonstrate potential for measurable societal impact.
Journey
From ecosystem to Grand Finale — 9 phases.
A structured 9-phase journey from ecosystem building to the ORION 2027 Grand Finale.
PHASE 02
Student Registration & Team Formation
15 Sep–10 Oct 2026
Students register and form multidisciplinary teams of 04 members.
PHASE 03
Problem Identification & Validation
12–31 Oct 2026
Bootcamp I, field exploration, empathy, problem discovery and validated problem submission.
PHASE 04
Problem Selection
1–10 Nov 2026
Expert screening, evaluation and shortlisting of high-potential problems.
PHASE 05
Solution Design
14 Nov 2026
Bootcamp II covering value proposition, Lean Canvas, product design and solution architecture.
PHASE 06
Prototype Development
15 Nov 2026–15 Jan 2027
Teams build, test, iterate and document working prototypes with mentor support.
PHASE 07
Progress Reviews & Mentoring
5 Dec 2026–16 Jan 2027
Three structured reviews with presentation, mentor feedback, action plans and readiness tracking.
PHASE 08
Final Readiness
30 Jan 2027
Final technical review, pitch rehearsal and readiness assessment.
PHASE 09
ORION 2027 Grand Finale
12–13 Feb 2027
Prototype exhibition, hackathon, jury evaluation, final pitch, awards and celebration.
Master Execution Timeline
15 key activities. One continuous journey.
All activity dates below are synchronized to the final timeline supplied for ORION 2027.
01
15–30 Sep 2026
Faculty Mentor Nomination
Invite faculty members to register as mentors; 15-day nomination period.
02
15–30 Sep 2026
Student Tech Teams Formation
Invite students to register for Pro Bono Technical Support.
03
By 30 Sep 2026
External Mentor Onboarding
Onboard industry experts, R&D professionals and startup founders.
04
20 Sep 2026
ORION 2027 Web Portal Launch
Launch webpage for registration, announcements and updates.
05
15 Sep–10 Oct 2026
Student Team Registration
Registration through website/Google Form; 04 members per multidisciplinary team.
06
12 Oct 2026
Bootcamp I – Problem Identification & Validation
Design Thinking, Empathy Mapping, Root Cause Analysis and Problem Validation.
07
12–31 Oct 2026
Problem Hunt & Submission
Field visits, stakeholder interaction, surveys and maximum two validated problems per team.
08
1–10 Nov 2026
Problem Screening & Selection
Expert evaluation, screening and shortlisting of submitted problems.
09
14 Nov 2026
Bootcamp II – Solution Design
Value Proposition, Lean Canvas, Product Design and Solution Architecture.
10
15 Nov 2026–15 Jan 2027
Prototype Development
Selected teams develop prototypes under faculty and industry mentorship.
11
5 Dec 2026
Progress Review I – Virtual/Hybrid
Prototype presentation and mentor feedback.
12
2 Jan 2027
Progress Review II – Virtual/Hybrid
Prototype presentation and mentor feedback.
13
16 Jan 2027
Progress Review III – Virtual/Hybrid
Prototype presentation and mentor feedback.
14
30 Jan 2027
Final Readiness Review – Virtual/Physical
Final technical review, pitch rehearsal and readiness assessment.
15
12–13 Feb 2027
ORION 2027 Grand Finale
Prototype Exhibition, Hackathon, Jury Evaluation, Final Pitch and Awards.
Who Can Participate
Bring your discipline. Find your team. Build for impact.
Student participation
✓
All disciplinesStudents across disciplines are eligible.
✓
Individuals or teamsTeams are formed with 04 members.
✓
Multidisciplinary collaborationCombine complementary skills, perspectives and interests.
✓
Problem-solving mindsetBring passion for solving real-world problems and creating impact.
✓
UG, PG & Research ScholarsOpen to the student categories described in the PPT.
Mentor & ecosystem roles
✓
Faculty mentorsGuide teams with domain expertise and academic support.
✓
Industry / R&D / startup mentorsProvide real-world insight, technical mentorship and validation.
✓
Student Tech Teams (Pro Bono)Support technology, operations and event execution.
✓
University ecosystemLeadership, innovation support, evaluation and program management.
Evaluation Framework
Fair. Transparent. Impactful.
The detailed evaluation framework in the PPT uses a 0–5 scoring scale and weighted criteria.
Evaluation criteria & weightage
20%Problem Understanding & Relevance
Clarity, depth of understanding and relevance to users, industry or society.
20%Innovation & Creativity
Originality, creativity and uniqueness of the approach.
20%Feasibility & Functionality
Technical feasibility, practicality and working functionality.
20%Impact & Scalability
Potential impact, scalability, sustainability and alignment with SDGs.
10%Presentation & Communication
Clarity, structure, confidence and effectiveness of pitch and demo.
10%Business Potential (If Applicable)
Viability, market potential, value proposition and commercialization potential.
5 Excellent4 Very Good3 Good2 Fair1 Poor0 N/A / No Evidence
Evaluation process
1
SubmissionTeams submit final prototype, report and pitch deck.
2
ScreeningEligibility and completeness check.
3
Rubric evaluationJury evaluates using defined criteria and assigns scores.
4
DeliberationJury discussion finalizes rankings and winners.
5
Results & awardsWinners are announced at the Grand Finale.
Awards & Recognition
Celebrating ideas, effort and impact.
Award categories and recognition themes are synchronized with the current ORION 2027 PPT.
🏆
Champion of Innovation
Overall winning team for the most impactful and innovative solution.
✦
Best Innovative Solution
Most innovative and creative solution with high originality.
⚙
Best Technical Solution
Excellence in technology, engineering and feasibility.
↗
Maximum Impact Award
Highest potential for social, environmental and economic impact.
◉
Best Teamwork & Collaboration
Exceptional team synergy, collaboration and role distribution.
💬
Best Presentation & Communication
Clarity, structure, confidence and effectiveness of pitch and demo.
The PPT also describes faculty mentor recognitions, including Excellence in Mentoring, Impact Enabler Award, Collaboration Champion, Rising Mentor Award and Mentor of the Year, plus special recognitions such as Mentor’s Choice, People’s Choice and Rising Star.
Expected Outcomes & Impact
Plant the seed. Nurture the idea. Create the future.
The PPT frames ORION 2027 around innovation, talent development, a stronger ecosystem, high-impact prototypes, sustainability and recognition.
150+Participants
Students, faculty & mentors
25+Teams
Teams shortlisted
25+Prototypes
Supported through mentoring
15+Mentors & experts
Engaged in the ecosystem
2Grand Finale days
12–13 Feb 2027
HIGHImpact potential
Scalability, adoption & impact
Ready to plant your seed of innovation?
ORION 2027 is designed to move from meaningful problems to purposeful solutions, working prototypes and impact. Choose your role to begin.
Demo page: connect these buttons to the final ORION 2027 registration forms/portal before publication.
Contact Us
Have a question about ORION 2027?
Meet the organising team and connect with the right people for ORION 2027 queries.
Visit Sri Sri University
Sri Sri Vihar, Ward No. 3, Godisahi, Cuttack, Odisha – 754006, India.
OFFICIAL CONTACT PAGE →Organisers
Mr. B. P. Pattnaik
Mr. Soumya Mahapatra
Dr. Gyana R. Panigrahi
Mrs. Pootul Biswas
Mr. Santosh Kumar Rath
For Queries
- Mrs. Pootul Biswas — 9853660471
- Mr. Santosh Kumar Rath — 8144597896
Choose your ORION 2027 pathway
These are demo actions until the official portal/form URLs are connected.
🎓 Student / Team
👨🏫 Faculty Mentor
🌐 External Mentor
🛠 Student Tech Team