• Airavata,
Kryptos, Hacktro Tricks, Outlier Coders and Nexora emerge winners across five
national challenge tracks
• Competition attracted over 5,300 submissions from students across India
Faridabad: Teams Airavata, Kryptos,
Hacktro Tricks, Outlier Coders and Nexora were awarded ₹1 lakh each after
emerging as winners across five challenge tracks at the Grand Finale of STATATHON
2025–26, a national innovation challenge organized by the Ministry of
Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Government of India, in
collaboration with AICTE. The event was hosted at Manav Rachna
International Institute of Research and Studies (MRIIRS), Faridabad, the only
institution in the country selected to host the Grand Finale of the
prestigious competition.
The competition received more than 5,300 submissions
from students across the country, with 25 finalist teams advancing to the
36-hour Grand Finale. Participants were tasked with developing innovative
solutions to real-world challenges within India's statistical ecosystem,
leveraging Artificial Intelligence, data science, analytics, and automation.
In the Data Security and Compliance category, Airavata
emerged as the winner for the problem statement, "Evaluation of
Effectiveness of Data Encryption/Anonymisation Adopted for Unit-level Data of
NSS and Creation of an Improved Safe Data Tool." Renox was
declared runner-up and received a cash prize of ₹50,000.
Kryptos secured the top prize in the Data
Dissemination category for the challenge, "Create an API Gateway to
Run SQL Queries on Survey Datasets and Retrieve the Results in a User-Friendly
Form like JSON." The Missing Semicolon was named runner-up.
For the Data Collection challenge, Hacktro Tricks
won the top honours for developing a solution for an "AI-Powered Smart
Survey Tool for Survey Data Collection," while Zenthic Echo
secured the runner-up position.
In the Data Processing and Analysis category, Outlier
Coders emerged victorious for the challenge titled "AI-Enhanced
Application for Automated Data Preparation, Estimation and Report
Writing." Dynamite was declared runner-up.
Meanwhile, Nexora won the Data Collection and
Processing challenge for its solution to "AI-enabled Semantic
Search for National Classification of Occupation (NCO)," while Rising
Phoenix and Amrit Kaal Champions were jointly declared runners-up.
Each winning team received a cash prize of ₹1 lakh,
while runners-up were awarded ₹50,000 each. The solutions were evaluated
by an expert jury comprising government officials, academicians, industry
leaders, and domain specialists on parameters including innovation,
scalability, technical feasibility, and potential impact on governance and statistical
processes.
Speaking at the valedictory ceremony, Sh. Kanishk Kant
Srivastava, Director, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
(MoSPI), Government of India, said, “The five problem statements identified
by the Ministry were based on real challenges faced by the official statistical
system, and it was encouraging to see students apply their learning and
technical expertise to develop innovative, practical solutions. I congratulate
the winning teams and encourage all participants to continue striving forward,
as every experience contributes to future success and innovation.”
Echoing the sentiment, Sh. Soumya Chakraborty, Deputy
Director General, National Statistics Office, Ministry of Statistics and
Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Government of India, said, "The
enthusiasm, technological competence, and commitment displayed by the teams
have been truly impressive. What stood out was the way participants embraced
feedback, refined their solutions, and continuously improved their products.
While a few teams received trophies, every team that reached this stage is a
winner in our eyes. The solutions developed for these real-life statistical
challenges have the potential to be valuable for the official statistical
system, and I hope this experience encourages participants to continue their
innovation journey."
Dr. Naresh Grover, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Manav Rachna
International Institute of Research and Studies (MRIIRS), Faridabad, said, "Over
the two days, STATATHON 2025–26 has demonstrated the power of data analytics
and evidence-based decision-making in addressing real-world challenges. The
enthusiasm, creativity, and analytical rigor displayed by the participants
reflect the growing importance of statistical thinking in today's data-driven
world. More than a hackathon, this initiative has been a celebration of collaboration
between government, academia, industry, and young innovators. While a few teams
received awards, every participant emerged as a winner by gaining new
knowledge, strengthening problem-solving skills, and experiencing collaborative
learning."
STATATHON 2025–26 was designed to encourage students to
apply emerging technologies to real-world public-sector challenges and
contribute to strengthening India's statistical ecosystem. The initiative
brought together policymakers, statisticians, technology experts, industry
leaders, and young innovators to explore how data-driven innovation can enhance
governance and support evidence-based decision-making.