From Courses to Creation: Astitva’s Leap into Real-World AI
Background
When you’ve spent months learning AI and ML through online courses, you start to realize something — theory only takes you so far.
For Astitva Kamble, a 4th-year student from IIIT Gwalior, that realization became the reason to step into Flipr Hackathon 25.
He wanted to see how his classroom knowledge could stand up against a real-world problem — one that didn’t have predefined datasets or step-by-step answers.
He joined Flipr not just to code, but to experience how engineers actually solve problems outside the comfort of tutorials.
The Challenge
Astitva came into the hackathon with a clear goal — to build something meaningful using the skills he already had.
He didn’t want another theoretical model; he wanted something that worked, something people could use.
That’s when he realized the real challenge wasn’t just technical — it was about time, structure, and decisions.
Building a real-world solution means thinking differently — balancing innovation with practicality, and speed with accuracy.
That shift in thinking became his biggest takeaway.
The Hackathon Experience
When asked about his Flipr experience, Astitva summed it up perfectly in one line —
“GREAT and lots of learning.”
For him, the Flipr Hackathon was more than an event — it was an environment that felt alive.
From problem-solving under tight deadlines to interacting with mentors and seeing other teams creativity unfold, it gave him a taste of how fast-paced tech really works.
He walked away not just with new skills, but with a new perspective on how much you can actually learn in 48 hours when you’re fully immersed.
The Project
Astitva worked on something both challenging and fascinating — an AI Agent that summarizes news from the web in real-time.
The idea was simple: in a world overflowing with information, how can we help users consume it smarter?
Using Machine Learning models and backend automation, Astitva built a system that could pull in live news, process it, and summarize it using AI — providing quick, digestible insights without losing context.
Astitva’s Contribution
As the ML and backend lead, Astitva handled everything from data processing to integrating the model into the system.
He made sure the AI agent wasn’t just functional, but reliable — managing its logic flow, ensuring response accuracy, and optimizing it for performance.
Working solo on core components taught him how to prioritize, debug under pressure, and build with intention.
And in that process, he learned the art of balancing quality with speed — something every engineer eventually faces.
Outcome & Reflection
By the end of the hackathon, Astitva had something far bigger than a finished project — he had proof of growth.
He learned how to manage time effectively, how to turn ideas into execution, and how to use his existing skills in ways that actually make an impact.
The best part? His performance and project even led to internship opportunities — a direct outcome of the effort he put in during the hackathon.
He calls the experience “a door to exciting possibilities — you just need to walk through it and show what you can do.”
Student Quote
“Flipr Hackathon was an incredible experience. It helped me take my AI knowledge beyond theory — to build something real, under pressure, with purpose.
If you do well, opportunities naturally find you.”
Closing Thoughts
From learning AI through online courses to applying it in a real, production-like environment, Astitva Kamble’s journey at Flipr Hackathon 25 perfectly captures what learning-by-doing truly means.
For him, it wasn’t about competition — it was about creation.
And that’s exactly what Flipr Labs stands for — giving students the chance to explore, build, and experience what being an engineer really feels like.
Because growth doesn’t come from lessons alone — it comes from doing something that once felt beyond you.