Our SIH 2024 Journey

This post chronicles team Innov8torX's incredible journey at the Smart India Hackathon (SIH) 2024, where we developed DiasporaConnect and proudly became Grand Finalists! We'll share the challenges, triumphs, and key learnings from this intense 36-hour innovation sprint. We've also documented our experience in a vlog:

The Challenge: Connecting the Diaspora

SIH 2024 presented us with Problem Statement ID: 1757 from the Department of Posts (DoP): "India Post - A Bridge for Indian Diaspora to access things Indian." The core challenge was to address the difficulties faced by the Indian diaspora in accessing authentic Indian products, including quality concerns, high shipping costs, and limited reach for Indian artisans.

Our team, leveraging our diverse skills, decided to build DiasporaConnect, an e-commerce platform designed to bridge this gap. DiasporaConnect offers a curated selection of authentic Rakhis and handicrafts, sourced directly from artisans across India, and utilizes India Post's extensive network for reliable global delivery. Our platform aims to be a one-stop shop for the diaspora to connect with their cultural roots. We focused on providing a user-friendly experience with features like product browsing, secure payments, and order tracking.

The 36-Hour Sprint: From Concept to Prototype

The 36-hour hackathon was a true test of our skills and teamwork. We faced and overcame several key challenges:

• Rapid Development: We had to build a functional, albeit minimal, e-commerce platform from scratch. This involved rapid prototyping, continuous testing, and agile development principles. We prioritized building the core features first: product listing, shopping cart, and a basic checkout process.
• Technical Integrations: Integrating with the (simulated) India Post tracking API and planning for future integrations with payment gateways (like Razorpay and PayPal) presented technical complexities. We spent significant time researching documentation and debugging.
• Team Coordination: With six team members working concurrently, effective communication and task delegation were paramount. We used Slack for communication, GitHub for version control and Trello for the task management to stay organized. We divided the work into front-end (user interface), back-end (API and database), and design.
• UI/UX Design: Creating a user-friendly and visually appealing interface in a short time was a challenge. We focused on a clean, intuitive design that prioritized ease of navigation.
• Staying Awake and Focused: To deal with this challenge, we arranged lots of coffee and planned 2-hour small sleep.

Key Learnings

This intense experience provided invaluable lessons:

• Collaboration is Key: Our team's diverse skill set (Akshay Tiwari - 2K22/EC/26, Arindam Singh - 2K22/EC/49, Aryan Kanojia - 2K22/EC/56, Prabhat Kumar - 2K22/EC/166, Rahul - 2K22/EC/179, and Yashi Jha - 23/EP/138) was our greatest strength. Open communication, mutual respect, and a willingness to help each other were essential.
• Agile Principles Work: Adopting an iterative approach, with frequent feedback loops and adjustments, allowed us to adapt to changing requirements and overcome obstacles.
• Problem-Solving Under Pressure: The time constraint forced us to think creatively and find efficient solutions. We learned to prioritize essential features and not get bogged down in minor details.
• Real-World Application: SIH provided a fantastic platform to apply our technical skills to a real-world problem with the potential for significant impact.

Future Plans (Beyond the Hackathon)

While we built a functional prototype during the hackathon, we have a comprehensive roadmap for DiasporaConnect, including:

• Seller Panel: A dedicated panel for artisans and MSMEs to manage their products, orders, and payments (including DigiLocker integration for verification).
• Advanced Features: Implementing features like user reviews, wishlists, multilingual support, a community forum, a chatbot (BharatGPT), and a postage fare calculator.
• Mobile App: Developing native mobile apps for iOS and Android to enhance accessibility.
• Workshops Page: Adding a webpage for showcasing online workshops.
• Community Tab: Introducing a community section for user interaction.
• Security Enhancements: Implementing robust security measures, including secure document storage and fraud prevention mechanisms.

Gratitude and Acknowledgements

We are deeply grateful to:

• Our Team Members: Akshay Tiwari, Arindam Singh, Prabhat Kushwaha, Yashi Jha, and Rahul – your dedication, hard work, and positive attitudes made this possible!
• Organizers: Delhi Technological University, Rajalakshmi Engineering College, Department of Posts, India, Joel Andrews, Ministry of Education, Government of India, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and Ministry Of Communication – thank you for providing this incredible opportunity and platform!
• Mentors: Thank you, Sir/Mam, for guiding us throughout the hackathon.

Conclusion

Becoming Grand Finalists at SIH 2024 is a tremendous honor and a testament to our team's hard work and the potential of DiasporaConnect. This experience has fueled our passion for innovation and reinforced the importance of collaboration in tackling real-world challenges. We are excited to continue developing DiasporaConnect and bringing our vision to life. You can view our initial prototype on GitHub Pages. Be sure to check out our vlog for a behind-the-scenes look at our journey!