Build It
Second prize
₹1,50,000
In cash
+ $2,000
In AWS credits, on top
Build locally with the open-source AWS stack: Strands, Cedar, SAM Local, PartyRock, OpenSearch. No account, no card, no bill.
First Commit
01 / Prizes
Multiple tracks to win!
Nothing to pick when you enter. Ship It, Build It and Best UI are decided by what your project turns out to be, and one submission is considered for all three.
Fast-track interview at Amazon.
Top 10 students from top projects
Top 10 students from top projects will skip screening rounds and get fast track interviews at Amazon.
Read the rules
Ship It
First prize
₹2,00,000
In cash
+ $3,000
In AWS credits, on top
Deploy it live on AWS and hand us a URL. Free credits cover the weekend, and the architecture is part of the score.
Best UI
Third prize
₹1,00,000
In cash
+ $1,000
In AWS credits, on top
Open to a project from either track: the best-designed thing at the event, the one that is a pleasure to use and not only a pleasure to describe.
Four runners-up
$1,000
In AWS credits, to each team
Four more teams take credits home, across every track. There is nothing extra to enter for: every submission is already in the running.
Top 5 blogs
Logitech gaming keyboard
To 5 people
Write up what you built: the problem, the stack, what fought back. Publish it on AWS Builder Center and link it in your submission.
Tour swag
The tour kit
To the top teams
Finish near the top of the board and the kit is yours, whether you built online or spent the Saturday with us in Bangalore.
02 / What you build
Two main tracks to build
The theme is open. Build something real, something yours. What matters is that it works and you can show it.
Open source, on your machine
Build It
Strands Agents SDK
agents, on local models
PartyRock
AI apps in the browser
Cedar
authorization as policy
SAM CLI + LocalStack
serverless on localhost
OpenSearch, Firecracker, Corretto
the rest of it
No AWS account, no card, no bill.
Deployed, with a URL
Ship It
Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB, S3
scales to zero
Amazon Bedrock
foundation models
Amplify Hosting, App Runner
a URL in minutes
Cognito, EventBridge, Step Functions
the plumbing
Free credits cover the weekend.
03 / Home base
Your home base
One free profile, and the workshops, sandboxes, learning paths and credits behind it are the whole reason the weekend works.
Everything starts at AWS Builder Center. Free, no credit card, two minutes to sign up.
Verify you're a student
Required to compete, and it unlocks rewards on your profile.
Hands-on workshops
Hundreds of step-by-step labs, built by AWS.
Free sandboxes
Eight-hour AWS environments, with no account of your own.
Learn by doing
Curated learning paths for students, through your Builder ID.
Toolbox
Find AWS SDKs, open-source projects, and language resources in one place.
Your builder profile
Public, and yours to keep long after the weekend.
04 / Ideas
Bring your own idea, or start from one of these
None of these are briefs. They're the kind of small, real problem that wins this thing.
An agent that reads a confusing document and explains it: an electricity bill, a rental agreement, a syllabus.
A tool that automates the thing you do by hand every single week.
An app your hostel, your class, or your family group chat actually needs.
A local-language interface for something that only works in English.
A policy engine that decides who can access what, built on Cedar.
An offline-first app that survives bad wifi instead of waiting for it.
05 / Judging
What judges look for
We are looking for impactful projects that have some real-world use cases. Think about what would make your and others' lives easier.
Idea and Impact
The theme is open, so the problem is yours to find. Does it solve a real problem? And what changes for the people on the other side of it? A small problem solved well beats a big one solved vaguely.
Built on AWS
There are two tracks. Build It runs on the open-source stack on your own machine, and Ship It runs on AWS services, which is where the grand prize is decided. Selected teams that want to deploy get credits from us to do it. Using an AWS open-source project or AWS services is mandatory to win a prize.
Learning
Four days should leave you knowing something you didn't on Thursday: a first deploy, a first agent, a service you had never touched. Tell us what you learned, and it counts towards your score.
The execution
Does it work? Not perfect, not polished. Working. One feature that runs beats five that almost do.
The demo video
Three minutes, recorded, to show what it does, who it is for, and where AWS fits. There is no live demo, so the video is what the judges see.
We judge what you built, not what you spent. Local projects and deployed projects are scored with the same care. Cloud usage counts only in Ship It, where architecture and cost decisions are part of the work. Best UI is judged on design and usability.
06 / In person
Spend the Saturday with us in Bangalore
The hackathon runs online for all four days. Sept 19 is an optional day in the room, with limited seats and a signup of its own.
Apply
Limited seats
Workshops in the room
Hands-on AWS sessions, run in front of you.
Feedback on your project
Show what you have and get it pulled apart in time to fix it.
Meet the Amazon team
The people behind the services you are building on.
Swag to take home
Tour swag on the day, whether or not you place.
Two signups: check in for the hackathon on this page, then apply on Luma for the Saturday in Bangalore. The day is optional, and being there adds nothing to your score. Everything judged happens online.
07 / FAQ
Got questions?
What is the theme?
Build something that solves a real problem, whether it's one you deal with yourself, one people around you face every day, a service that could work better, or just a clunky way of doing things that nobody has bothered to fix yet. Think outside the box and bring creative ideas that solve the country's problems, in any sector, be that healthcare, education, finance, your pick.
Do I need to know AWS?
No. Workshops run the week before, and the Build It track needs no AWS account at all.
Do I need a credit card?
No. Build It needs nothing. For Ship It, debit cards and RuPay work, and the verification charge is about ₹2.
Can I participate online?
Yes, fully. Same theme, same judging, same prizes, and no cap on numbers.
How do the fast-track interviews at Amazon work?
The judges put the top projects forward to Amazon's University Talent Acquisition Team, and those students skip the screening round: the project stands in for it. Top 10 students from top projects go forward at each event. Winning a track is neither required nor enough, and the full terms are in the tour's rules.
Read the rulesWhere is the venue?
Polaris School of Technology in Bangalore, open on Sept 19. Online runs the whole four days from anywhere in India.
How do I attend in person?
Two signups. Check in here first, which enters you in the hackathon online, then apply for the Bangalore build day on Luma. Seats are limited and Luma confirms yours by email.
ApplyWhy would I join in person?
On Saturday there is an optional hack day in Bangalore, where you can join the workshops, get feedback on your projects, meet the Amazon team and pick up swag!
Does joining in person help my chances?
No. The hackathon runs online from Thursday to Sunday. The Bangalore day is optional and has limited seats, and being there doesn't add to your score.
Who can participate?
University students across India.
How big can a team be?
One to four people.
Is it free?
Yes. Free to register, free to take part.
Will I get a certificate?
Yes, everyone who submits a project will get a certificate, and the winning team will also get a certificate.
Can I start building before the event?
Learn and practise as much as you want. Project work starts when the clock does.
08 / Community
Where to ask, and where to find a team
Nobody builds this weekend alone. Bring a question, or turn up without a team and leave with one.
WeMakeDevs Discord
The fastest way to reach us. Ask anything about the hackathon, find teammates in the team-forming channels, and get help from mentors while you build.
WeMakeDevs space on AWS Builder Center
Where the tour's updates and announcements are written down and stay findable. Introduce yourself, say what you're building, and see who else is building near you.
Event 01 of 06
Make the first commit.
Four days, one project, and a Builder Center profile that outlasts the weekend. Your tour signup comes with it, and covers all six stops.
Bangalore opens the tour. Online is open to all of India.