What happens when a student is given a difficult problem, limited time, and one chance to turn an idea into a working solution?
For Mridul Singh Soam, a fourth-year B.Tech CSE student at GL Bajaj Institute of Technology & Management, that challenge became a moment to prove what she could do.
She stepped into the Women Who Master Hackathon 2026, a Guinness World Record-breaking women-only Generative AI hackathon that brought together 129K+ applicants from across India.
From this massive pool, just 115 finalists reached the Grand Finale.
Mridul was one of them.
And she did more than make it to the final stage. She secured the Second Runner-Up position, turning a technology challenge into a proud milestone for herself and the entire GL Bajaj community.
When a Hackathon Becomes More Than a Competition
A hackathon is not simply about solving a problem within a deadline. It is about learning to think, test, adapt, and build.
The Women Who Master Hackathon 2026 created this experience for women across India.
Organised by Aspire For Her and Logitech, the event focused on developing Generative AI solutions for real-world challenges linked to women’s empowerment.
For students, it offered a chance to move beyond classroom concepts and apply their knowledge in practice.
The experience brought one important question into focus: “What can I build with what I have learned?”
129K+ Applicants and 115 Finalists
The scale of the hackathon made the journey even more special.
More than 129K applicants joined from different parts of India. The participation was not limited to students from major cities.
Women from different backgrounds and locations became part of the same technology-focused platform.
After the selection process, 115 finalists reached the Grand Finale at the Logitech headquarters.
For every finalist, reaching that stage was already an achievement.
For Mridul, it was an opportunity to take her learning to a national platform.
A classroom gives students the foundation.
A competition gives them a chance to test that foundation.
That is where experiences like this can make a difference.
Students have to think quickly.
They have to communicate their ideas.
They have to respond to questions.
They also have to learn from the people competing alongside them.
These moments can build confidence in ways that a regular classroom exercise may not.
1,712 Women Make Generative AI History
The Women Who Master Hackathon 2026 also became part of a global record.
With 1,712 participants, the event achieved a Guinness World Records title for the largest women-only generative AI hackathon held across multiple venues.
Think about that number for a moment.
More than a thousand women came together around one emerging technology.
Each participant brought a different idea.
Each problem demanded a different way of thinking.
Together, they created a moment that went beyond a regular hackathon.
The record also highlighted the growing participation of women in technology and Generative AI.
For young engineering students, such platforms can send a strong message.
Technology is not only something to study. It is something to build with.
Mridul Singh Soam Reaches the Podium
Among the 115 finalists was Mridul Singh Soam from GL Bajaj.
As a fourth-year B.Tech CSE student, she entered a highly competitive national-level platform.
The final stage brought together students who had already advanced from a large applicant pool.
The challenge was now different. Ideas had to be presented with confidence.
Solutions had to be explained clearly. Questions had to be answered.
And every finalist had to show why their approach mattered.
Mridul’s performance helped her secure the Second Runner-Up position.
For the GL Bajaj community, it became a proud student achievement.
It also showed the value of giving students opportunities to participate beyond their regular academic routine.
A competition can reveal skills that may remain hidden in a classroom.
A student who learns a concept can understand it.
A student who applies that concept to a real problem begins to experience it.
That difference matters.
What Hackathons Teach Beyond the Classroom
A classroom can introduce a concept, but a real problem tests how well students can apply it.
Hackathons create this kind of practical learning.
Students learn to view problems from different angles, improve their ideas, communicate with others, and work within time limits.
They also learn to accept feedback and keep going when something fails.
These skills can support internships, projects, and future workplaces.
For engineering students, such exposure can make emerging technologies like Generative AI easier to understand and apply in real-world solutions.
From Classroom Learning to Real-World Innovation
GL Bajaj’s, student development goes beyond classroom learning.
Students have opportunities to participate in hackathons, technical competitions, projects, and industry-focused activities.
These experiences help them connect learning with practice.
A programming concept can become part of a project.
A project can become a competition entry. A competition can become a valuable learning experience.
This is an important part of the journey at GL Bajaj Engineering College.
The aim is not only to complete a course, but also to build skills, confidence and practical knowledge for future challenges.
Building Skills for a Changing Technology Landscape
Generative AI is changing how engineers solve problems and build digital solutions. For students, this brings new opportunities and new challenges.
Learning the technology is only the first step.
Students also need to know how to use it in the right way. Hackathons offer a practical way to develop this skill.
Students move from an idea to a working outcome. They understand the problem, think about users, test their approach, and make changes.
This process makes technical learning more practical and teaches students to handle uncertainty.
Leadership Applauds Student Achievement
The achievement received appreciation from the leadership of GL Bajaj Educational Institutions.
Mr. Pankaj Agarwal, Vice Chairman, GL Bajaj Educational Institutions (Greater Noida/Mathura), congratulated Mridul Singh Soam on her achievement and appreciated her efforts in representing the institution at a national platform.
He highlighted the importance of opportunities that encourage students to develop innovation, creativity, confidence and practical learning.
Mr. Kartikay Agarwal, CEO, GL Bajaj Educational Institutions (Greater Noida/Mathura), also congratulated Mridul on the achievement.
He emphasised the importance of future-ready skills and noted that platforms such as hackathons encourage students to challenge themselves, work on real-world problems and develop meaningful solutions.
Such support can motivate students to participate in more competitions and explore new areas of technology.
Why Opportunities Like These Matter
Student achievements are not only about trophies or positions.
They are also about the journey behind them.
There are hours of preparation.
Some ideas may not work.
Some questions can make students rethink their approach.
There are moments when confidence is tested.
And then there is the final moment when the effort comes together.
For Mridul, the Second Runner-Up position became one such moment.
For other students watching her journey, it can become motivation to participate in the next hackathon.
This is how a culture of innovation grows.
One student participates.
Another student gets inspired.
More students begin building.
Over time, the campus becomes a place where ideas are not only discussed but also tested.
This is one of the qualities associated with a Best Engineering College in Delhi NCR, creating opportunities where students can learn through action and gain exposure to real challenges.
Finding the Spark Beyond the Classroom
Mridul Singh Soam’s journey is more than a hackathon achievement.
It shows what can happen when students get opportunities to apply their skills, face real problems and present their ideas.
The Women Who Master Hackathon 2026 gave her a national platform, and her Second Runner-Up finish added a proud moment to the GL Bajaj journey.
But the learning does not end here.
New technologies and challenges await.
At GL Bajaj, students get opportunities to learn, build and find their spark beyond the classroom. Start your journey today.
