GIT Chairman Rajendra Belgaumkar and KLS team with the winning students.
BELAGAVI
Bringing laurels to KLS Gogte Institute of Technology (KLS GIT), Team DevBytes from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering secured second position at Convolve 4.0, a Pan-IIT AI/ML Hackathon held at IIT Guwahati, Assam, on February 6 and 7.
The team, comprising Rahul Samedavar and Sambhaji Patil, competed against top student innovators from leading IITs and premier institutions nationwide. The national-level event was organised by IIT Guwahati in collaboration with IDFC First Bank.
According to GIT Principal Dr M S Patil, the 2026 edition drew 8,581 participants from across India. Of these, 2,300 advanced to Round 2. In the highly competitive Generative AI track, nearly 400 teams underwent rigorous multi-stage evaluations, with only seven teams shortlisted for the Grand Finale at IIT Guwahati.
Competing among this elite group, Team DevBytes impressed judges with its innovation, technical expertise and practical problem-solving approach, finishing as second runner-up at the national level. The achievement is notable as they competed directly with teams from premier IITs and other top institutions.
The duo received a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh and an internship opportunity with IDFC First Bank in Mumbai, gaining valuable industry exposure in Generative AI. Institute officials hailed the accomplishment as a proud moment for KLS GIT and a testament to its students’ excellence in emerging technologies.
