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Engineering students collaborating on code during HackCellence

Two Online Rounds and an On-site Finale.

Register now

Registration Opens: September 21, 2026Registration Closes: October 8, 2026, 6:00 PM IST.

Who can apply

Final year Engineering students graduating in 2027

The commitment

Full time internship, January to June 2027

The location

In person at our Bangalore office.

How to register

Apply individually. You do not need a team to sign up.

01 THE IDEA

Build something real. Show us how you think.

HackCellence: The Embark Edition, is a chance to turn your skills into working technology and compete for an exciting internship.

Register on your own

No team needed to enter. You compete on your own right through to the Finale, where finalists pick their own teams for the onsite build.

Start from anywhere

Both rounds are online. Your work, not your city, college or network, is what moves you forward.

Bring your curiosity

Show us how you approach a problem, make choices and turn an idea into something that works.

Problem Solving with a purpose

It appears in Round 2 and again at the Finale. You will get a clear brief and support when you need it.

02 THE ROUTE

Two rounds. One Finale.

Register first, then two rounds online, then two days in Bangalore. Each one gives you more room to show how you think, build and communicate.

00

Register

Registering successfully by October 8. It takes a few minutes.

Opens 21 September, closes 8 October
01

The Assessment

A hundred minutes online: 60 on DSA, problem solving and coding, 20 on aptitude and 20 on communication.

Every eligible registered student sits this
02

The Project Build

Use the brief, sandbox and defined technology stack to create a working prototype.

For students shortlisted after Round 1
03

The Finale, in Bangalore

Join us on 13 and 14 November for a live build, hands-on mentoring and a final presentation.

For students shortlisted after Round 2

If you reach the Finale and you are travelling from outside Bangalore, your travel and accommodation are on us.

03 WHO CAN ENTER

Three things, and all three need to be true.

Check these before you spend time on anything else.

You’re currently pursuing an engineering degree

Studying at a recognised institution and graduating in 2027.

You're free for the full six months

You must be available full time for the entire internship, from January to June 2027.

You can be in Bangalore in person

For the Finale in November and for the office-based internship that follows.

There is no CGPA cut-off, college list or branch restriction. If you meet the three requirements above, you can apply.

04 DATES

Put these in your calendar.

September

2026
Registration opens21 September 2026

October

2026
Registration closes8 October 2026, 6:00 PM IST
Round 1, the assessment10 October 2026
17–18
Round 2, the project build and

November

2026
13–14
The Finale, Bangalore and

January

2027
The Embark Internship BeginsJanuary 2027
05 ROUND 1

A hundred minutes, split three ways.

Most of it will be technical, so prepare that first. Aptitude and communication carry real weight too.

60 minDSA, problem solving and coding
20 minAptitude
20 minCommunication
Problem solving & aptitude
How you approach something you have not seen before. It does not need to be perfect, but it does need to be thought through.
Programming
Working code, in whichever language you are most comfortable with.
Communication
Twenty minutes on how clearly you can explain your work.

All you need is a laptop and a stable internet connection. For Round 2, the brief and the technology stack go to shortlisted students separately, so there is nothing to prepare or install now.

06 THE FINALE

Two days. One big build.

13 and 14 November 2026, in Bangalore. You pick your team from the other finalists and build together.

Day 01

Build and collaborate

Meet the challenge, start building and work with our engineers in the room.

Day 02

Refine and present

Make the final changes, then show the judges what you built and explain your choices.

If you reach the Finale and you are travelling from outside Bangalore, your travel and accommodation are on us.

At the Finale, we decide who joins Embark.

You will build, collaborate and present. What you create, and how you approach and explain it, could lead to an internship. You build with a team, but we assess you as an individual.

07 WHAT'S AT THE END

Embark. Six months. Bangalore.

Embark is our early-career technology internship at the Booking Holdings India Center of Excellence.

Six months full time internship

January to June 2027, in person at our Bangalore office.

₹75,000 a month

For the full six-month internship.

Real engineering work

Solve meaningful technical problems with experienced engineers around you.

What comes after

Interns who do well may be considered for full-time roles in our tech teams.

08 ABOUT THE CENTER

Start your career by building, not watching.

The Booking Holdings India Center of Excellence brings together people who solve complex technology problems with a global perspective. As an Embark intern, you will contribute from the start, learn from experienced engineers and find your own way of making an impact.

09 RULES

The short version.

  1. You enter on your own and are assessed individually throughout. Finalists pick their own teams for the onsite round.
  2. Registration opens 21 September 2026 and closes 8 October 2026 at 6:00 PM IST. We cannot accept entries after that.
  3. One registration per person. You will only receive next-step details if you meet the eligibility criteria, so fill the form carefully.
  4. All assessments are monitored and checked for plagiarism. Anything we find leads to immediate disqualification.
  5. Registering means you accept Booking Holdings' and HackerEarth's terms and conditions.
  6. Our shortlisting decisions are final and binding.
10 FAQ’S

The questions we get most.

Do I need a team?

Not to enter. You register, compete and are assessed on your own all the way to the Finale. Once you are through to the onsite round, you pick your own team from the other finalists. You are still assessed individually.

I've never done a hackathon before.

That's completely fine. Round 1 is an online assessment, Round 2 is a virtual project build, and finalists receive a clear brief and support from mentors.

What if a round clashes with my exams?

Every date is published above and we cannot move them, because of the number of entrants. Check them early and speak to your college if you need to.

Is travel to Bangalore covered?

Yes. If you reach the Finale and are coming from outside Bangalore, your travel and stay are on us.

Can this lead to a full-time job?

Interns who perform well may be considered for full-time roles in our technology teams.

What if I reach the Finale but don't receive an Embark offer?

You will still leave with two substantial builds, experience working alongside our engineers and a clearer sense of how you perform on a real technology challenge.