Plaksha University and Mphasis Reward Top Student Innovators in TrackShift Innovation Challenge 2026

Annual TrackShift Innovation Challenge 2026 concluded successfully at the Plaksha University flagship event campus. Organised alongside Mphasis STEM innovation teams, the hackathon challenged 180 students to solve intense F1 racing problems.

Plaksha University successfully hosted the second edition of its hackathon, the TrackShift Innovation Challenge 2026. This event was organised in partnership with Mphasis to boost STEM education in India. The 24-hour applied innovation challenge was held from September 12 to September 13 on the university campus. More than 180 undergraduate and postgraduate students travelled from different parts of the country to participate in the challenge. Over 3,600 applications from top-tier institutions like the IITs, NITs, BITS Pilani, and various regional colleges were received for participation.

Interestingly, female tech students were one-third of the total applications. The event challenged young minds. Students worked in the fields of artificial intelligence, advanced mobility, and intelligent systems. The problem statements were directly inspired by real-world technical issues faced during the actual 2026 motorsport racing season. 

The event featured three complex engineering problem statements drawn from real-world motorsport problems. The first area was Energy and Overtake Intelligence. Teams had to build a live decision engine to recommend perfect energy modes during live races. The second challenge was Track Limits Detection. Students used advanced computer vision tools and car telemetry data to spot racing violations instantly. The third area was Tyre Degradation Intelligence. Participants created mathematical models to remove background noise from practice sessions.