SMFG India Credit Champions “Sarvottam Seva” Through Pashu Vikas Day; Impacts Over 1.55 Lakh Rural Lives

SMFG India Credit, one of India’s leading NBFCs, successfully concluded the 8th edition of Pashu Vikas Day (PVD), its flagship livestock welfare and rural livelihood initiative, on February 14, 2026. Anchored around the theme ‘Sarvottam Seva: Pashu, Parivar aur Pragati’, the initiative reinforced the organisation’s commitment to holistic rural development by strengthening livestock health, family wellbeing, and sustainable progress.

Launched in 2014, Pashu Vikas Day addresses the critical healthcare needs of cattle owners by providing access to free veterinary services and expert guidance. Over the years, the initiative has evolved into one of the largest one-day cattle welfare programmes in the country.

SMFG India Credit positively impacted over 1.55 lakh lives, including the treatment of approximately 1.4 lakh cattle and healthcare support for over 14,000 people, benefitting more than 30,000 households. The initiative was conducted in 16 states, across 510 SMFG Gramshakti branches, underscoring the company’s deep reach into rural India.

In Karnataka, Pashu Vikas Day was held across 71 locations and provided essential health care services to 12,500 cattle, benefiting more than 3,700 households. Each camp offered services like free cattle check-ups by local veterinary doctors, distribution of free medicine and vaccinations for cattle, and advice on increasing the yield for milch animals.

Commenting on the successful conclusion of the initiative, Mr. Ravi Narayanan, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, SMFG India Credit, said, ““Sarvottam Seva’ is about delivering service at its highest standard—where empathy meets impact and intention translates into lasting change. In rural India, the health of livestock, the security of families, and economic progress are deeply interconnected. Pashu Vikas Day embodies our commitment to nurturing this ecosystem by caring for cattle, strengthening livelihoods, and supporting community well-being. Through this initiative, we aim to create sustainable outcomes that empower farming households and drive inclusive growth from the grassroots level.”

Over the years, the initiative has earned multiple national and global recognitions, underscoring its scale and impact. PVD was featured in the Limca Book of Records in 2015, Best of India Records in 2018, World Book of Records in 2019 and the World Records Union in 2024 for hosting the largest single-day cattle care camps nationwide. Building on this legacy, SMFG India Credit achieved a significant global milestone in 2025, when Pashu Vikas Day set a Guinness World Record for the ‘Largest Cattle Welfare Lesson, conducted simultaneously across multiple locations in India—further reinforcing the company’s long-standing dedication to rural welfare, livestock care, and community-led development at scale.

About SMFG India Credit: SMFG India Credit Co. Ltd., a leading NBFC - Investment and Credit Company (NBFC-ICC) registered with the Reserve Bank of India and a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG), has been operating in India since 2007. Together with its subsidiary, SMFG India Home Finance Co. Ltd. also known as SMFG Grihashakti, the company has established a pan-India presence, across 670+ towns and 70,000+ villages through 1000+ branches and 22,000+ employees offering lending products to underserved & unserved retail and small business borrowers. By doing so, it has introduced people to formal credit. SMFG India Credit along with SMFG Grihashakti offers a comprehensive range of lending solutions, including SME financing, commercial vehicle and two-wheeler loans, home loans, home improvement loans, loans against property and shares, personal loans, and rural livelihood advancement loans etc.

About Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG): SMFG is one of the largest global banking and financial service groups, offering a diverse range of financial services including commercial banking, leasing, securities and consumer finance and is headquartered in Japan. SMFG is listed on the Tokyo and New York (via ADR) Stock Exchanges and has a market capitalization of approximately US$108.5 billion (as of 30th September 2025). SMFG is one of the global systemically important banks (G-SIBs) and has high credit ratings of A1 by Moody’s Investors Service and A- by Standard & Poor’s.

RSPL Group Drives Women-Led Manufacturing Transformation at Ghadi’s Chaubepur Unit

In the heart of Uttar Pradesh’s small town, Chaubepur, a quiet transformation is reshaping not just a factory floor, but the lives of hundreds of women from nearby villages. RSPL Group, one of India’s leading FMCG conglomerates, has marked a progressive milestone with the evolution of its Ghadi Soaps and Detergent manufacturing units. The Ghadi detergent plant is striving towards a move for maximum women participation, setting new benchmarks in efficiency, inclusion, and formal employment.

Over the past ten months, the Chaubepur plant has significantly strengthened female participation across its operations, with women being the driving force behind the unit’s daily operations. What began as a vision to create greater economic inclusion has translated into structured employment opportunities, bringing women from informal and unorganized sectors into secure, formal jobs with statutory benefits.

Today, the while the detergent division produces approximately 360 MT. (Metric Tonne) per day, the cake division produces 173 MT. (Metric Tonne) per day, reflecting a disciplined time management approach, a strong sense of ownership and increased productivity. With production lines designed for operational ease and smart process integration with innovative technology, the plant ensures an efficient and seamless functioning for the women workforce.

Beyond the numbers, the initiative is redefining workplace culture in the region. Women employees benefit from fixed working hours, defined leave policies, and comprehensive statutory protections under labour laws. The structured environment has enabled better work-life balance, allowing many to contribute financially to their households while remaining closely connected to their families.

At the heart of this initiative is the vision of Ms. Kushalta Gyanchandani from the RSPL family. Under her leadership, the plant is now fully operational, demonstrating measurable improvements in productivity and workforce engagement.

Speaking about the initiative, Kushalta Gyanchandani said, "We are delighted to see how the Chaubepur plant has evolved. Our vision was to create a workplace where women feel comfortable, confident, and empowered. By formalizing roles and ensuring statutory benefits, we are not only strengthening operations but also contributing to long-term societal transformation in the region”.

The Chaubepur unit stands as a compelling example of how inclusive workforce strategies can drive both social change and business performance. By creating a safe and supportive work environment, RSPL Group is demonstrating that empowering women at scale is not just a social commitment—it is a sustainable growth strategy that advances skilling, builds technical capabilities, and enables digital learning through hands-on experience with modern manufacturing systems.

About RSPL Group

RSPL Group is one of India’s leading and fastest-growing FMCG conglomerates, built on a legacy of trust, value, and consumer-centric innovation. Established in 1988 with the iconic Ghadi detergent, the Group today has a diversified portfolio spanning fabric care, home and personal care, dairy and packaged foods, lifestyle and footwear, agri-products, and renewable energy. With a strong presence across urban and rural India and an expanding international footprint in markets such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Ethiopia, and Dubai, RSPL continues to deliver high-quality and affordable products that enhance everyday life.

The Group employs over 25,000 people and remains committed to sustainable and responsible growth. Through its CSR initiatives led by Laxmi Devi Dayal Das Charitable Trust and RSPL Welfare Foundation, RSPL actively supports programmes in education, healthcare, environment, animal welfare and community development nationwide.

 Products & Brand: Household Products: Ghadi Detergent Powder, Ghadi Detergent Cake, Ghadi Smartmatic Machine Wash, Xpert Dishwash Bar and Liquid, Personal Care Products: Glori Soap & Handwash and Venus Crème bar, Hygiene Care Products: Proease Sanitary Napkins, Luxury Baby Diaper - Lovingle, Life Style & Fashion: Red Chief & Red Chief Sports Shoes, Zuup by Red Chief, Dairy: Namaste India Foods (Dairy products, dairy beverages), Namaste India Ice Cream, Chemical Division: SOKA(soda ash), Agri products: Gangotri.

JioHotstar Launches ChatGPT-Branded Conversational Streaming In India

Using OpenAI APIs, the voice and text interface will allow users to explore India’s largest streaming library through natural language conversations in multiple languages

For more than a decade, digital entertainment has been a one-way street: you browse, you click, you watch. Today, JioHotstar and OpenAI announced a landmark partnership turning that into a human-language conversation by introducing a ChatGPT-powered voice discovery and immersive experience into the heart of India’s largest streaming destination.

Through this collaboration, JioHotstar is solving the "what to watch" dilemma through Multilingual Cognitive Search, replacing scroll fatigue with meaningful, human-centric discovery.

In a first-of-its-kind innovation for India, audiences can now discover, engage, and immerse in their favourite stories simply by speaking across languages, genres and moments transforming streaming into an intuitive, deeply personal conversation.

Instead of navigating menus or typing keywords, viewers can simply speak their intent, mood, or context and receive intelligent, context-aware recommendations instantly. The ChatGPT-branded voice assistant completely replaces restrictive keyword-based discovery with recommendations for not just what viewers explicitly ask, but for what they didn’t yet know they were looking for, unlocking a richer, more meaningful way to experience entertainment.

Speaking about the partnership, Uday Shankar, Vice Chairman of JioStar, said,"AI marks a transformative shift for the media and entertainment industry. It fundamentally disrupts every aspect of the value chain, from conceptualisation and production to discovery and monetisation. As a tech-native, user-first platform, JioStar is embedding AI at the very core of the user experience. Our partnership with OpenAI will allow viewers to discover, engage with, and even curate content simply using their voice. This is a fundamental reimagining of the entertainment experience; one that anticipates culture and feels deeply personal to every viewer.”

“Traditionally, entertainment is a one-way experience where you passively consume content - AI completely changes that dynamic.” said Fidji Simo, CEO, Applications, OpenAI. “Through our partnership with JioHotstar, we’re bringing personalized AI directly into entertainment and live sports, turning every moment into an opportunity for deeper engagement. Viewers can move seamlessly from watching to asking, from curiosity to context, and from exploration to recommendation in ways that feel natural, personal, and immediately useful.”

Whether a user says, “My parents are visiting, suggest something we can all watch together,” or “We are twins and only watch movies about identical twins,” the intelligent assistant interprets cultural nuance, situational context and layered prompts to deliver meaningful suggestions. Users will also be able to enhance their experience of live sports on JioHotstar with conversational discovery of key moments, scores, player highlights and anything else they’d like to know.

The rollout will span both live and on-demand formats, beginning with select experiences and expanding in phases.

Beyond the in-app experience, JioHotstar and OpenAI will introduce new experiences within ChatGPT, extending entertainment discovery beyond JioHotstar. Users who turn to ChatGPT for entertainment-related queries will receive contextual recommendations and relevant streaming links from JioHotstar’s vast catalogue, making the partnership a true two-way integration.

By integrating AI into streaming at scale, JioHotstar is charting the next frontier in digital entertainment. The new conversational discovery experience, powered by OpenAI’s advanced AI models, transforms streaming into an intelligent, context-aware, and personalized experience, setting a new benchmark for the industry.

As streaming in India matures, differentiation will increasingly be driven by intelligence that understands user intent and context in real time. By embedding AI-driven personalization and enabling multilingual interaction at scale, JioHotstar is building a more inclusive platform, empowering audiences to play a more active role in shaping their viewing journeys.

About JioHotstar

With 450 million monthly average users and a library of more than 300,000 hours of programming, JioHotstar is one of the largest streaming services in the world. Content is available in 19 languages - spanning movies, originals, live sports, live events, anime and kids’ entertainment as well as TV shows from the over 100 channels in the JioStar network. JioHotstar is available to Android, iOS and web users on https://www.hotstar.com/in.

Tata Power EV Charging Solutions Signs MoU With Gorakhpur Nagar Nigam To Strengthen EV Infrastructure In Uttar Pradesh

Tata Power EV Charging Solutions Limited (TPEVCSL), a leading EV charging solutions provider and a subsidiary of Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Gorakhpur Nagar Nigam to strengthen the electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.

As part of this collaboration, TPEVCSL will install ultra-fast EV charging setups at key strategic locations in the city of Gorakhpur. These installations are aimed at enhancing public charging accessibility and supporting the growing adoption of electric mobility in the state.

The deployment of fast chargers at high-footfall and transit-centric locations will provide EV users with convenient and reliable charging options, helping address range anxiety while encouraging a shift towards sustainable transportation. The initiative aligns with Uttar Pradesh’s vision to accelerate green mobility and strengthen urban EV infrastructure.

Tata Power has expanded its EV Charging network under the brand name of EZ Charge to over 2 lakhs + home chargers, 5,500+ public, semi-public, and fleet charging points, along with 1,200+ E-bus charging points across 630+ cities and towns. Overall, Tata Power EZ Charge has 5 lakhs+ registered customers. These chargers have been strategically deployed at diverse and accessible locations such as highways, hotels, malls, hospitals, offices, bus and commercial vehicle depots, residential complexes, etc. This concerted effort has been instrumental in facilitating the exponential growth of electric mobility in India. 

Nihilent’s Founder & Chairman, L.C. Singh, Honoured With VASVIK Industrial Research Award For Pioneering AI Innovation

In a milestone moment for the future of responsible, human-centred technology, Mr. Lal Chandra (L.C.) Singh, Founder and Executive Chairman of Nihilent has received the prestigious “VASVIK Industrial Research Award (2025)” in Information & Communication Technology. The 51st Annual Industrial Research Awards, hosted by Vividhlaxi Audyogik Samshodhan Vikas Kendra (VASVIK) at B. J. Hall, Mumbai, celebrated Indian scientists who have made extraordinary contributions to national prosperity. The ceremony was graced by Chief Guests BK Radhika Didi and Lord Dr. Frank Mentrup, Mayor of Karlsruhe, Germany, alongside distinguished leaders including Dr. Mohan I. Patel and Prof. M. M. Sharma.

This recognition acknowledges Mr. Singh’s sustained intellectual leadership in developing human-centred frameworks across technology and organisational systems. Over the years, he has created proprietary models such as MC³™, a patented change management tool; 14Signals™, a structured framework for evaluating customer perception, experience, and value association; and PROLICY-D™, a design thinking-led holistic product development framework that integrates human-centric principles into the development lifecycle. Building on this foundation of structured, human-centred thinking, his latest breakthrough, Emoscape, has emerged as a defining advancement in medical-grade Emotion AI.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. L.C. Singh, Founder and Executive Chairman of Nihilent Ltd., said, “I am deeply honoured to receive the VASVIK Industrial Research Award. This recognition belongs to the entire team at Nihilent, who believed in the vision of Emoscape. Our goal has always been to move beyond data processing and leverage AI to better understand human emotions. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to each recipient for their dedication, perseverance and invaluable contributions to the nation. I sincerely thank VASVIK for underscoring the importance of responsible and ethically driven innovation in the ICT sector”.

Emoscape is a medical-grade Emotion AI platform that detects and calibrates emotional states through a precise one-minute scan, analysing subtle upper-body micro-movements using a standard web camera. By translating these micro-movement patterns into a structured emotional profile, Emoscape introduces an objective and measurable layer to understanding emotional dynamics across healthcare, sports, education, insurance, marketing, corporate ecosystems and more.

At its core, Emoscape is grounded in the nine classical emotional archetypes articulated in the Natyashastra—the ancient Indian treatise on human behaviour and performance. Using three-dimensional motion capture techniques and advanced analytical algorithms, it maps fine-grained body dynamics onto this framework with clinical-grade precision, an approach that has been strengthened through recent peer-reviewed academic publication and continued research.

By bringing together classical behavioural insight with modern Emotion AI, Emoscape reflects Nihilent’s broader philosophy of elevating emotion from abstraction to accountability. It envisions a world where emotion is no longer dismissed as subjective, but recognised as a structured force shaping outcomes across industries, institutions, and societies.

Established in 1973, VASVIK is a non-profit organisation committed to promoting excellence in science and technology in India. Over the decades, it has honoured more than 450 Indian scientists whose research and innovation have directly contributed to national prosperity. The awardees are selected through a rigorous evaluation process led by expert committees and the Board of Advisors, ensuring recognition of individuals whose work significantly impacts industrial growth and societal development.

This recognition marks a defining moment for Nihilent and reinforces India’s growing leadership in responsible and human-centric emotion-AI innovation.

Bengaluru’s Deevia Software Wins Toshiba GridDB IoT Hackathon

*Bengaluru teams dominate the leaderboard, with Wimera finishing second and RichieRich securing fourth place

* Toshiba Announces Winners of GridDB Cloud IoT Hackathon, Highlighting Industry-Ready Real-Time Solutions from Across India

Toshiba Digital Solutions Corporation, in collaboration with Toshiba Software India Private Limited, successfully concluded the GridDB Cloud IoT Hackathon, an innovation initiative aimed at enabling students, developers, and startup companies to build real-time IoT applications using Toshiba’s GridDB® Cloud Database Service for Big Data and IoT.

The hackathon received strong participation from October 29 to December 14 2025, with over 250 applications from across India, addressing use cases including Healthcare, Finance, IoT, and Knowledge Management, demonstrating the versatility of GridDB® database service.

After an intensive evaluation process, five finalist teams advanced to the in‑person final rounds held in Bengaluru from January 31 to February 1, 2026. During the onsite sessions, they received direct technical support and mentorship from the GridDB® technical team, helping them further refine their proof‑of‑concept (PoC) solutions. Following the final PoC presentations to a panel of judges, the results were announced as follows and all the finalists shared a total cash prize of USD 5,000.

 

Toshiba GridDB Cloud IoT Hackathon Finalist Results

Rank	Team	PoC Theme	Location
1	Deevia Software	GenAI based Enterprise Document Management Platform	Bengaluru
2	Wimera	IoT PoC for Industrial Machines	Bengaluru
3	VitalWatch	Preventive Risk Disease PoC	Maharashtra
4	Richie Rich	Financial Analytics PoC	Bengaluru
5	GooRoo Mobility India	Low-cost remote Healthcare Solution PoC	Gujarat

 
The GridDB Cloud IoT Hackathon helped create a community of innovators who are eager to use real-time data to solve real-world problems. Toshiba will continue to engage with participants through the GridDB® community and future initiatives in India, strengthening its contribution to the country’s digital transformation and IoT ecosystem.

Commenting on the initiative, Mr. Hiroshi Tsukino, Director and Vice President of Toshiba Digital Solutions Corporation said, “Toshiba is committed to making a better world through the power of data by utilizing various kinds of data generated by businesses related to social infrastructure and turning them into platforms. The Toshiba Group is pursuing a strategy of transformation toward Digital Evolution (DE), Digital Transformation (DX), and Quantum Transformation (QX) to develop the digital economy, and India is a key innovation hub in Toshiba’s global digital strategy. Through initiatives like the GridDB Cloud IoT Hackathon, we are empowering developers with advanced data platforms to create scalable, real-time solutions that address complex industrial and societal challenges.”

Addressing the participants and judges, Mr. Ramdas Baliga, Managing Director, Toshiba Software India Private Limited added, “Toshiba Software India’s key strategic direction is to evolve into a digitally agile Centre of Excellence, embedding digital thinking and speed across everything we do, and translating advanced technologies into real-world IoT solutions. Initiatives such as the GridDB Cloud IoT Hackathon reflect this commitment by bringing together Toshiba’s experts and engineers with next-generation innovators to showcase technologies that will shape the future. I am pleased to see the event attract many such ideas, and proud that Toshiba could support these innovators in advancing their vision.”

Sharing their experience, Mr. Nitin Mangalashankar, hackathon participant of the winner team - Deevia Software India Private Limited said, “From a hands-on perspective, the hackathon was a great opportunity to quickly prototype and validate a GenAI-driven use case on top of real-time operational data using GridDB Cloud. The platform allowed us to ingest and query time-series data efficiently under tight timelines, making it easy to focus on experimentation and solution design rather than infrastructure challenges.”

Mr. Ramdas Baliga presenting the winner’s cheque to Team Deevia Software

About GridDB® and GridDB® Cloud

GridDB® is Toshiba’s high-performance, distributed time-series database, purpose-built for IoT and big data. It combines time-series data management, petabyte-scale scalability, and high reliability with dual NoSQL/SQL interfaces for flexible development. Designed for real-time analytics, it supports mission-critical operations across industries like manufacturing, energy, automotive, and healthcare.

GridDB® Cloud, available on Microsoft Azure Marketplace, brings these capabilities to a fully managed cloud service. It offers seamless integration with tools like Azure IoT Edge and Grafana, intuitive GUI-based cluster management, and elastic scaling—reducing setup time, infrastructure costs, and operational overhead. With global availability in 26 countries, it enables enterprise-scale real-time analytics with ease.

GridDB® Product Website

https://www.global.toshiba/ww/products-solutions/ai-iot/griddb.html

GridDB® Cloud Product Website

https://www.global.toshiba/ww/products-solutions/ai-iot/griddb/product/griddb-cloud.html

GridDB® Cloud at Azure Marketplace

https://azuremarketplace.microsoft.com/en-us/marketplace/apps?search=griddb%20cloud&page=1

GridDB® Open Source Website

https://github.com/griddb/

For GridDB® Developers

https://griddb.net/

*GridDB is a registered trademark of Toshiba Digital Solutions Corporation in Japan.

About Toshiba Digital Solutions Corporation

Toshiba Digital Solutions Corporation is developing businesses globally which utilize digital and quantum technologies, such as IoT and artificial intelligence (AI), as the Toshiba Group company which handles digital solutions. By maximizing the power of various data generated in the wide range of business areas of the Toshiba Group and creating platforms, we will create a series of valuable services and contribute to achieving carbon neutrality and a circular economy.

Toshiba Digital Solutions Corporation will continue to create new value, together with our customers and partners, based on the Basic Commitment of the Toshiba Group: “Committed to People, Committed to the Future.”

https://www.global.toshiba/ww/company/digitalsolution.html

About Toshiba Software India Private Limited

Toshiba Software India Private Limited (TSIP) is a Toshiba Group company specializing in the innovative software solutions. Since its inception in the year 2002, TSIP has been at the forefront of developing cutting-edge technologies and software solutions. TSIP works for software solutions at all layers of software architecture - Drivers, OS & schedulers, Multi-Core Firmware, Middleware and Applications. TSIP functions as a technology hub by leveraging technologies including AI/ML, IoT, Cloud solutions, Embedded Software & Systems Development, Application Development, Software Testing, Data Science and ERP Solutions to create state-of-art products & services across multiple domains. These domains are broadly categorized under Retail & Printing Solutions, Electronic Devices & Storage Solutions, Energy Systems & Solutions, Infrastructure Systems & Solutions, Digital Solutions and Battery Business. As a CMMI Level 5 and ISO 27001 certified company, TSIP has been growing with the results of strategic planning with a vision to contribute towards its group of companies worldwide.

Karnataka Students Wins Top Honors At “India’s Largest GenAI Student Challenge”

* The OpenAI Academy x NxtWave Buildathon Finale At The India AI Impact Summit

Students from Karnataka were recognized among national winners at the OpenAI Academy x NxtWave Buildathon finale at the India AI Impact Summit, held at Sushma Swaraj Bhavan, New Delhi. LineLens built by students from MS Ramaiah Engineering College secured 4th position for creating an AI-driven CRM research workspace powered by agentic AI. LineLens converts a researcher’s browser into an intelligent CRM workspace that automates discovery, outreach, and collaboration tracking through agentic AI. Karnataka’s representation reinforces the strong pipeline of industry-ready AI student talent from the state.

Organized as a flagship pre-summit initiative under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s (MeitY) IndiaAI Mission, the Buildathon brought together more than 70,000 young innovators in 7 states - Delhi, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu around the country. Identifying talent from universities through regional rounds across, the buildathon underscored the depth of India’s AI capabilities beyond metropolitan hubs. 90 teams advanced to the national finale, where they were evaluated by a distinguished jury comprising Raghav Gupta, Head of Education, India & Asia Pacific, OpenAI; Sandeep N, GTM APAC, OpenAI; Dr. Buddha Chandrasekhar, Chief Coordinating Officer, AICTE, Ministry of Education and Saharsh Sharma, VP, Chiratae Ventures along with industry leaders from JP Morgan Chase and Make My Trip. The review process prioritized the effective use of Large Language Models (LLMs), scalability, and system architecture, ensuring that student innovations translated into practical, deployment-ready solutions.

Guest of Honor Rama Lanka Devi, Lead Architect, Niti Frontier Tech Hub, Niti Ayog said, “India’s youth are not just learning AI, they are the first generation of AI nation-builders. And when they build with purpose, transformation becomes inevitable.”

Speaking at the national finale, Rahul Attuluri, CEO and Co-Founder of NxtWave, said, “With the OpenAI Academy x NxtWave Buildathon, we built the country’s largest GenAI challenge for students under the India AI Impact Summit 2026. Together with OpenAI, NxtWave is contributing to India’s mission of developing the largest pool of young AI talent. It’s a proud moment to see students from across regions present practical AI solutions on a global stage, and we will continue to expand this initiative to reach more cities and learners.”

Bonnie Chatterjee, Global Head of AI Deployment Engineering, OpenAI, said, “India is rapidly becoming a global epicenter for AI talent. What truly sets this ecosystem apart is the shift from experimentation to application. Students are building solutions rooted in reality, tackling everything from rural healthcare to agricultural yields. Through the OpenAI Academy, we’re bridging the gap between classroom theory and real-world impact, proving that Indian innovation is practical, essential and inclusive."

By mobilizing talent to solve challenges rooted in their own regional contexts, the initiative ensured that AI innovation is not just imported but indigenous, reinforcing the Summit’s mandate for inclusive, impact-led adoption at scale. Winning teams were awarded a total prize pool of ₹10 lakh, along with ecosystem support to scale their innovations reinforcing the buildathon’s focus on innovation.