My Achievements
Competitions won, hackathons conquered, and the projects they gave birth to — with a full timeline, photos, and impact.
NIDAR Drone Competition
National-level autonomous drone challenge
The NIDAR Drone Competition was a turning point in my engineering journey. Competing in autonomous flight tasks — precision landing, waypoint navigation, and object detection — against top teams from across India pushed me to apply everything I had learned in a high-pressure, real-world setting. We placed 2nd Runner Up, and more importantly, the experience ignited the idea for what would become the PUSHPAK project.
📅 Timeline
- 1
Pre-Competition
Team Formation & Research
Assembled a cross-disciplinary team and began deep research into MAVLink protocol, ArduPilot, and companion computer communication. Set up first test bench with a Raspberry Pi and Pixhawk.
- 2
Week 1–3
Autonomous Flight Development
Built the autonomous mission execution pipeline — GPS waypoint navigation, altitude hold, precision landing using OpenCV and a downward-facing camera, and failsafe logic for lost comms.
- 3
Competition Day
Grand Event — NIDAR
Competed in three rounds: static inspection, autonomous navigation, and a precision challenge. Our autonomous landing system performed flawlessly. We secured 2nd Runner Up among teams from IITs, NITs, and other premier institutions.
- 4
Post-Competition
PUSHPAK Born & Open-Source Launch
Inspired by the pain points of managing drone software during the competition, I began designing PUSHPAK — a modular Ground Control Station and onboard companion platform. Also launched the Pushpak Open Source Organization on GitHub.
📸 Gallery
Scanning Drone
Sparying Drone
Detection Task
2nd Runner Up !
What I Gained
- →Hands-on experience with MAVLink, Pixhawk, and ArduPilot in a real competition environment
- →Built and tested an autonomous vision-guided landing system under strict time constraints
- →Founded the Pushpak Open Source Organization to continue development beyond the competition
- →Directly led to the full PUSHPAK GCS + Companion ecosystem, still in active development
Smart India Hackathon 2023
National Grand Finale — Team Captain
Smart India Hackathon is the world's biggest open innovation model — a 36-hour nationwide hackathon organized by the Government of India. Our team was selected among thousands of teams from across the country to compete at the Grand Finale. I led the team as captain, guiding us from the problem statement all the way through architecture, a non-stop 36-hour build, and the final jury presentation.
📸 Photos
Team at the Grand Finale
Official Certificate — SIH 2023
📅 Timeline
- 1
Internal Hackathon
College-Level Selection
Assembled a team of 6, picked the Domestic Waste Management problem statement, and competed at the college round. Our WasteWise concept and working prototype earned us the spot to the national round.
- 2
State Level
Regional Qualifier
Refined the prototype, improved the waste seller-buyer matching algorithm, and presented to industry experts. Cleared the state round and qualified for the Grand Finale.
- 3
Grand Finale — 36 Hours
National Grand Finale — WasteWise
Competed at the national venue over a non-stop 36-hour sprint. Built and deployed WasteWise — a full-stack platform with a React Native mobile app and a Next.js web interface — enabling households to list, price, and sell sorted recyclable waste to verified collectors and recyclers.
- 4
Final Evaluation
Jury Presentation
Presented WasteWise to a jury of government officials, industry leaders, and academics. Demonstrated the full product flow — from household waste listing through collector pickup to recycler purchase.
What I Gained
- →Led a 6-person team through a 36-hour national hackathon as captain under extreme time pressure
- →Designed and developed WasteWise — a full-stack marketplace for sorted recyclable domestic waste
- →Built a React Native mobile app and Next.js web interface end-to-end in a single sprint
- →Gained experience in rapid product ideation, team coordination, and real-world sustainability problem-solving
Let's build something great
Looking for a developer who ships real products, leads teams, and wins competitions? Let's talk.