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 / Highlights
How First Commit went
Four days of building, one day in the room. The highlights, from the people who were there.
02 / Photos
The day in the room
Sept 19 at Polaris School of Technology in Bangalore: check-in, talks from the stage, and a full house of builders.
03 / 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
6 monthsInternship, plus full-time roles
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. A new AWS account starts with up to $200 in free credits, you can request more from us if you need them, 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.
04 / Tracks
Here is what you need to build
The theme is open: build something that solves a real problem. What we're looking for is something that matters to you. A problem you face yourself, or one you see in your family, your community, or the country. Start there, and build it using AWS, either the open-source tools or the cloud. Just a real problem, and what you build to solve it.
Two main tracks to build
What you need
Build It
Open source, on your machine
No AWS account, no card, no bill.
Ship It
Deployed, with a URL
Free tier: up to $200 in credits to start.
Agents and AI
Build It
Strands Agents SDK,PartyRockShip It
SageMaker AIContainers and Kubernetes
Build It
Finch,EKS Distro,EKS AnywhereShip It
EKS,ECS,FargateServerless
Build It
SAM CLI,LocalStackShip It
Lambda,API Gateway,Step FunctionsServers and runtimes
Build It
Firecracker,CorrettoShip It
EC2,Lightsail,App Runner,Amplify HostingData and search
Build It
OpenSearchShip It
S3,DynamoDB,RDS,AuroraAuth and policy
Build It
CedarShip It
CognitoThe plumbing
Build It
-Ship It
CloudFront,Route 53,EventBridge,SQS,SNS,CloudWatch
Deploying starts free
Nothing in the Ship It column needs a paid account. Sign up for the AWS Free Tier and you start with up to $200 in free credits, on top of the services that are always free, which is enough to deploy a project this weekend. Using it is completely valid. If you need more than that, you can request credits from us.
See what the free tier covers05 / Resources
Everything you need to build
Verify you're a student, build on the AWS Free Tier, and read up on the tour as it goes. A new AWS account starts with up to $200 in free credits, and you can request more from us.
01
Verify you're a student on AWS Builder Center
One free profile, no credit card, two minutes. Every entry on the tour is checked against it, and verifying your enrollment unlocks $579 of rewards.
Verify you're a student
Required to compete, and it unlocks rewards on your profile.
02
Build on AWS, starting with the free tier
Start with the AWS Free Tier. A new AWS account comes with up to $200 in free credits on top of the services that are always free, which covers the weekend and counts in full for every track. If you need more, request credits from us.
AWS Free Tier
A new account starts with up to $200 in credits.
The free tier, explained
Builder Center's guide to what it covers, and for how long.
Getting started with the free tier
What to know before you open an account.
Set up your dev environment
Get your machine ready to build on AWS.
Toolbox
AWS SDKs, open-source projects and language resources.
03
Blogs from the AWS tour
Guides, recaps and build notes written around the tour, in one place.
From the tour
Read the blogs06 / 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. Start on the AWS Free Tier, which gives a new account up to $200 in credits, and request more from us if you need them. Using an AWS open-source project or AWS services is mandatory to win a prize.
Design and Usability
A judge who has never seen your project should be able to pick it up and use it. Is it clear what it does, and easy to get from opening it to the thing it is for? Clean and obvious beats clever and confusing.
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.
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.
How do I build on AWS without paying?
Start with the AWS Free Tier. A new AWS account comes with up to $200 in free credits, on top of the services that are always free, and that is enough to build and deploy a hackathon project. Using it is completely valid for every track, Ship It included. If you need more than that, you can request credits from us.
See what the free tier coversWhere can I read up before the weekend?
We write about the tour as it goes: guides on the services you'll reach for, recaps of the stops, and build notes from the people who were there. Everything tagged aws on the blog is about this tour.
Read the blogsDo I need a credit card?
No. Build It needs nothing at all. Ship It needs an AWS account, and the free tier makes that free: debit cards and RuPay work for the signup, 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. The roles are a 6-month internship at Amazon and full-time positions. 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.
Apply on LumaWhy 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.
09 / 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 on Luma
Limited seats
Who you will meet
Kunal KushwahaFounder, WeMakeDevs
Hitesh ChoudharyFounder, Chai aur Code
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.
Event 01 of 06
That was First Commit.
The four days are over and the judges have picked their winners. See what won and everything else built that weekend, then come build at the next one: five hackathons are still to come on the tour.
The next city is announced soon. Online is open to all of India.