Jammu, September 18, 2026: Jammu Smart City Limited (JSCL), in collaboration with LEAD (LJK Economic Growth & Development Dialogue), has launched the Jammu Smart City Hackathon 2026, bringing together innovators, startups, entrepreneurs, researchers and community organisations to develop practical solutions to the city’s emerging urban challenges.
The initiative seeks to connect innovative ideas with government departments and other stakeholders so that promising concepts can be transformed into solutions that are practical, scalable and suited to Jammu’s specific requirements.
Six Key Themes Identified
The hackathon will invite ideas across six broad areas covering major aspects of urban development. These include urban planning, green spaces and public realm; cleanliness, waste management and sustainability; digital governance, mobility and smart infrastructure; tourism, heritage and culture; inclusive communities, animal welfare and urban resilience and disaster management.
The organisers intend to provide participants with a structured platform where ideas can progress from the initial concept stage towards prototypes and potential implementation.
Addressing the gathering, JSCL CEO Dr. Devansh Yadav said the hackathon would create an opportunity to bring together innovative thinking and Jammu’s development requirements. He emphasised the importance of solutions that can be practically implemented and subsequently scaled.
Registration Open Till September 25
Registration for the Jammu Smart City Hackathon will remain open from September 17 to 25, 2026.
Participants will move through different stages, including ideation, mentoring, prototyping and evaluation, before presenting their proposed solutions.
The initiative also provides selected participants with opportunities for incubation and potential investment support, helping promising ideas progress beyond the hackathon and towards real-world implementation.
JSCL and LEAD Sign MoU
The launch also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between JSCL and LEAD to strengthen cooperation on development initiatives in Jammu.
The MoU was signed by LEAD Convenor Harinder Gupta and JSCL CEO Dr. Devansh Yadav.
The partnership will cover areas such as cultural promotion, startup and entrepreneurship development, innovation, and urban and economic development. It aims to strengthen coordination between the city administration and Jammu’s broader innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Academic and Innovation Ecosystem Joins Initiative
The launch event brought together representatives from academic institutions, industry and the innovation ecosystem.
Those associated with the initiative included Dr. Suhaib Batt of MIET Jammu; Dr. Jasvinder Pal Singh and Dr. Harnain Kour of Central University of Jammu; Dr. Raj Kumar V and Dr. Yogesh Nimdeo of IIT Jammu; Dr. Vivek Sharma, Kannav Padha and Druri Sharma of IIM Jammu; and Vijay Kumar Raina, Gourav Abrol and Alankrit Mahajan from LEAD.
Prof. (Dr.) Sarabjeet Singh, Tushar Gupta, Rupesh Masson, Gunjan Sharma and Rahul Trakroo were also present.
From JSCL, Pankaj Kumar, Rahul Pandit, Ashish Anand and Neeraj Tickoo were among those associated with the initiative.
The Jammu Smart City Hackathon is expected to provide a collaborative platform where technology, entrepreneurship, academic expertise and community perspectives can contribute to addressing urban issues and supporting Jammu’s future development.
