IIIT-B Innovation Centre And Grameen Foundation Team Up For National-Level Hackathon: TerraTech Challenge 2024

IIIT-B Innovation Centre recently announced its academic partnership with the Grameen Foundation for Social Impact (GFSI). This partnership witnessed IIIT-B hosting the TerraTech Challenge 2024 – a National-Level Hackathon in collaboration with GFSI, and the knowledge and technology partner, Protean. The event held recently, as technology enthusiasts from across the southern states came together to devise innovative solutions addressing critical issues in the domain of financial inclusion.

Dr. Lakshmi Jagannathan, Chief Executive Officer, IIIT-B Innovation Centre, speaking about the collaboration, said, "We are delighted to partner with Grameen Foundation for this impactful initiative. The TerraTech Challenge aligns seamlessly with IIIT-B's commitment to fostering innovation and leveraging technology for societal development."

Commenting on the partnership, Arindam Dasgupta, Director, Innovations in Digital Finance, Grameen Foundation, stated, “IIIT-B’s commitment to excellence and innovation aligns seamlessly with our mission at Grameen Foundation. We believed that this Hackathon would not only unearth ground-breaking solutions but also incubate the winning team for a transformative journey ahead."

“At Protean e-Gov Technologies, we were proud to have collaborated with Grameen Foundation as the Knowledge and Technology Partner for the Terra Tech Challenge 2024. Witnessing students and startups collaborating to power solutions for global challenges was inspiring. As pioneers in creating DPIs for the nation, we were committed to building for a billion and proud to have been part of this collective effort, propelling our shared mission of inclusive social and financial transformation." said Amit Sinha, Group Head, Social Security and Welfare, Protean eGov Technologies Limited

The TerraTech Challenge 2024 Hackathon, a flagship initiative by GFSI was aimed at harnessing the potential of technology to drive positive social change. With a primary focus on financial inclusion, the hackathon served as a platform for bright minds to collaborate, ideate and create transformative solutions.

About IIIT-Bangalore

IIIT-Bangalore is a premier institute focused on Post-Graduate IT education and research, located in the heart of Electronic City, Bangalore. IIIT-Bangalore is graded A+ by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). In the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) for 2022, IIIT-B has secured 74th ranking. The institute was ranked number 1 among India's Best Technical Universities (Private) by India Today. IIIT-Bangalore contains state-of-the-art infrastructure, eminently qualified faculty, a vibrant alumni community, cutting-edge research facilities, and close industry collaborations.

The institute’s specially designed courses make the students cognitive of the current technologies. Experiential learning and practices followed in the institute equip them with the tools and knowledge to solve contemporary real problems. IIIT-Bangalore has consistently achieved excellent placement records every year since its establishment in 1998, thanks to the unwavering support of the industry and the expanding pool of highly skilled alumni.

For more details, log onto https://www.iiitb.ac.in

ABOUT GRAMEEN FOUNDATION FOR SOCIAL IMPACT (GFSI)

The Grameen Foundation for Social Impact (GFSI) is a not-for-profit organization whose core areas of expertise include providing access to finance, livelihood opportunities, agricultural products and services, women's empowerment, and health and nutrition. It operates across four verticals: Innovations in Digital Finance (IDF); Agriculture & Livelihood Practices; Health & Nutrition; and Women’s Economic Empowerment. With a focus on the most marginalized communities, particularly women, the organization strives to enhance access to finance, sustainable livelihoods, and health and nutrition worldwide. Leveraging the potential of digital technology, GFSI connects impoverished individuals to vital resources such as information, markets, capital, and skill development opportunities. By collaborating closely with banks, financial institutions, farmers’ organizations, and agribusinesses, the organization empowers people to build assets, navigate crises, mitigate risks, and cultivate resilience.

Over the past decade, GFSI has experienced remarkable growth, bolstering its efforts to eradicate poverty and hunger, particularly among women. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, its focus has been on expanding our endeavors in women’s economic empowerment, deepening its impact in agriculture and livelihoods, and fostering innovation through various initiatives.

About Protean:

Protean eGov Technologies Limited (formerly known as NSDL e-Governance Infrastructure Limited) is a pioneer and market leader in population-scale e-governance solutions since its inception 28 years ago.

Digital Public Infrastructure: Protean has played a pivotal role in modernizing the direct tax infrastructure, introducing online tax payment and tax collection, and incubating and implementing the Tax Information Network (TIN), which brings together over 68,000 facilitation centers (PAN and TIN). Protean conceptualized, designed, and implemented the infrastructure for the Central Recordkeeping Agency and operates as the central recordkeeping agency for the National Pension System & Atal Pension Yojna.

Regulatory Tech: Protean's authentication services (eKYC, Aadhar Authentication, eSign) enable governments, businesses, startups, and developers to utilize a unique digital infrastructure for their digital customer journeys. Protean has also recently launched its Account Aggregator services through 'Protean SurakshAA,' an individual consent-led financial data sharing Account Aggregator platform that empowers users with credit services.

Open Networks & 'ODEs:  Protean is actively contributing to and supporting open digital building blocks, including the Open Network For Digital Commerce ("ONDC"), which accelerates commerce for network participants and payment gateways through its products. The company is recognized for building a network for corporate scholarships, grants, and education loans through Protean Vidyasaarathi & Vidya Lakshmi.

Protean has also recently entered the Indian market with Protean Cloud Services, an AI-powered private cloud offering for business enterprises. Additionally, Protean InfoSec Services Limited provides cybersecurity consulting, advisory, and assessment services in IT security.