NIAT Empowers Youth Through Successful ‘Build for Telangana’ Hackathon
Hyderabad, Telangana June 24th, 2025: NxtWave Institute of Advanced Technologies (NIAT), an initiative offering future-ready upskilling programs to students enrolled in its collaborating universities, today announced the successful conclusion of its “Build for Telangana Hackathon”. Graced by Mr. Shrikant Sinha, CEO of TASK, and Ms. E. Sai Shivani, IAS officer, the two-day event brought together over 600 students across 150+ teams to develop tech solutions for public challenges.
The “Build for Telangana Hackathon,” held in collaboration with the Telangana Academy for Skill and Knowledge (TASK), saw participants tackle real-world problems in public service, rural development, and health.
This event further highlights NIAT’s significant impact in Telangana, where it has empowered over 55,000 students from 200+ colleges since its MoU with the Telangana Government in 2024, strengthening its commitment to fostering the state’s next generation of tech leaders.
Themed as ‘Using tech to solve for Telangana – public service, rural development, health, and more’, the hackathon concluded with an awards ceremony recognizing the top innovators. The teams of Koushik and Akhila, Nikhil and Venu Gopal, and Murali Krishna and Avinash Gupta secured the top three positions for their groundbreaking solutions. The top ten teams were awarded a cumulative prize pool of INR 3,00,000, along with mentorship, funding, and incubation opportunities to advance their innovative solutions.
Praising NIAT’s industry-first initiatives and commitment towards Telangana, Mr. Shrikant Sinha, CEO of TASK, added, “NIAT’s consistent efforts in skill development, exemplified by this hackathon, are vital for Telangana’s growth. The strong use of AI across several projects shows how deeply today’s youth are embracing future technologies. This is yet another step towards our Hon’ble Chief Minister’s vision of making Telangana the AI capital of India.”
During the hackathon, Mr. Shrikant Sinha engaged with the participants and raised a real-world problem Hyderabad continues to face. The underground drainage system built during the Nizam era is not mapped, making repairs and upgrades incredibly difficult. He encouraged students to build a tech solution, a combination of hardware and software, to map the system accurately.
Ms. E. Sai Shivani, IAS officer from Warangal, Telangana, said, “Witnessing the innovative thinking of these young minds was truly inspiring. This hackathon is a vital step in harnessing the immense talent of Telangana’s youth to solve our state’s challenges. It perfectly aligns with our vision for a technologically advanced and empowered Telangana, showcasing how innovation can directly contribute to public welfare.”
Aligning with its broader mission to bridge the gap between academia and industry by encouraging students to solve real-world public problems using tech, NIAT has taken several industry-first initiatives, helping students with industry-ready skills. NIAT has trained over 24,000 students on AI skills through 101 workshops and conducted employability tests for 32,000 students, directly connecting them to industry opportunities. These initiatives underscore NIAT’s commitment to fostering a robust tech talent pipeline and driving state-level innovation.
NIAT’s engineers-for-impact vision continues to bridge the gap between academia and industry, solidifying the state’s position as a hub for innovation and skilled talent.
List of Winners
Team 1:
Koushik R
Akhila S
Naga Sai Purujit
Naeem Ahmad
Team 2:
Nikhil
Venu Gopal
Kiran Kumar
Team 3
Danaboina Murali Krishna
Avinash Gupta
P. Uday Kiran
Arjun J