Using Claude AI for Your SIH Project
Claude is the best AI for software architecture and coding. Here’s exactly how to use it through every phase of your SIH project.
Phase 1: Planning (Day 1)
Prompt Claude with:
"I'm building [your idea] for SIH 2026. The problem statement says [paste it]. My team knows React, Node.js, Python. We have 36 hours. Give me: 1. System architecture 2. Database schema 3. API endpoints needed 4. 36-hour timeline with milestones"Claude will give you a complete project plan. Refine it by asking follow-ups.
Phase 2: Architecture (Hours 1-4)
Ask Claude to generate:
- Folder structure for your project
- Database models (Mongoose schemas, SQL tables)
- API route structure
- Frontend component tree
Prompt: “Generate the complete folder structure and boilerplate for a Next.js + FastAPI + MongoDB project that does [your idea]”
Phase 3: Core Development (Hours 4-24)
For each feature, prompt:
"Write the complete code for [feature]. Use [framework]. It should: 1. [requirement 1] 2. [requirement 2] Include error handling and input validation."Claude generates production-quality code. Copy, paste, test, iterate.
Phase 4: AI Features (Hours 24-30)
If your project needs AI capabilities, ask Claude:
"Add an AI chatbot to this project that can [specific task]. Use OpenAI/Gemini API. Show me the complete integration code including API key handling, prompt engineering, and response parsing."Phase 5: Polish & Deploy (Hours 30-36)
Ask Claude to: write your README, generate test cases, fix any bugs, and create deployment scripts.
Pro Tips
- Give Claude your ENTIRE codebase context – it works better with full picture
- Ask for explanations when you don’t understand generated code
- Use Claude to review your code for security issues before demo
- Ask it to generate demo scripts so your presentation flows smoothly