IIM Bodh Gaya invites applications for the Inspire Techathon’23 Social Innovation Challenge. The last date to apply for this is July 31, 2023.

About Inspire Techathon 2023

An INSPIRE TECHATHON 2023 is an event that fosters innovation intended mainly for technology development and is planned to identify existing challenges for which tech solutions are proposed to solve business problems and social issues. The INSPIRE TECHATHON 2023 is designed to not only help solve problems and also is typically a time-bound competitive event where participants collaborate in teams to build proofs of concept or minimum viable products for a specific pre-defined problem.

  • It is a time-bound event in which teams made up of both technical and business knowledge get together to collaborate intensively on projects.
  • The aim is to design, build and present the most innovative solution to a problem, and then pitch a final concept, prototype or presentation to the jury.
  • Over a period of 48 hours, Individual Innovators or Startups, a team of a maximum of 4 members are asked to HACK probable solutions to a series of given social challenges.
  • As a result, it enables a connection and conversation between our rural and urban communities that accelerates innovations, brings solutions for business problems, remedies for social causes and builds potential startups.

Eligibility Criteria

Individual Innovators or Startups, a team of a maximum of four members with knowledge, skills or an interest in hardware & software engineering, computer science, agriculture, horticulture or tourism.

Relevant Stakeholder

  • Incubator
  • Individual
  • Ideation Stage Startup
  • Validation Stage Startup
  • Early Traction Startup
  • Scaling Stage Startup

Relevant Industry

  1. Analytics
  2. Advertising
  3. Architecture Interior Design
  4. AR VR (Augmented + Virtual Reality)
  5. Automotive
  6. Art & Photography Animation
  7. Chemicals
  8. Computer Vision
  9. Telecommunication & Networking
  10. Construction
  11. Agriculture
  12. Aeronautics Aerospace & Defence
  13. AI
  14. Green Technology
  15. Events
  16. Fashion
  17. Finance Technology
  18. Enterprise Software
  19. Food & Beverages
  20. Design
  21. Dating Matrimonial
  22. Education
  23. Renewable Energy
  24. Technology Hardware
  25. Healthcare & Lifesciences
  26. Internet Of Things
  27. IT Services
  28. Human Resources
  29. Marketing
  30. Nanotechnology
  31. Non- Renewable Energy
  32. Pets & Animals
  33. Media & Entertainment
  34. Retail
  35. House-Hold Services
  36. Professional & Commercial Services
  37. Sports
  38. Social Impact
  39. Social Network
  40. Textiles & Apparel
  41. Indic Language Startups
  42. Transportation & Storage Logistics
  43. Travel & Tourism
  44. Security Solutions
  45. Airport Operations
  46. Real Estate
  47. Other Specialty Retailers
  48. Safety
  49. Robotics
  50. Passenger Experience
  51. Biotechnology
  52. Waste Management
  53. Others
  54. Toys And Games

Themes for Challenges

  • Agriculture
  • Fashion
  • Sports & Fitness
  • Tourism

Problem Statement

Managing & Monitoring the soil fertility, rate of water, crop growth, pest & diseases, macro & micro-nutrients etc. using IoT, AI & ML and applications of sensors.

The Technology to monitor and report the health of soils to avoid and reduce the risk of soil erosion, which reduces the economic impact of plant diseases and pests by improving farmer’s ability to quickly and accurately diagnose and respond to plants /trees/vines with disease and pest issues and the technology can help to improve the efficiency of water usage in agriculture and finds application in open farms, greenhouses, gardening and research and agricultural labs. It can help with guidance about ways to optimize water usage as per the requirement of crops and soil (Crops, flowers, fruits). In case of limited water resources, the farmers can detect and limit watering to only at critical phases of the crop cycle thus not affecting overall yield.

Designing an E- Market through a digital platform for empowering the Farmer Producer Organization produces.


An FPO plays a significant role in mobilizing individual farmers under a structured system of their own to ensure better income and an enhanced livelihood for themselves as a result of economies of scale. However, FPOs are facing several challenges for their sustainability. Important Challenges faced by FPOs are.

  • Limited or no access to market information and retail markets
  • No access to modern technology for processing of agri-products for value addition
  • Lack of awareness to leverage technology where available
  • Limited access to finance.
  • The lack of administrative capacity results in poor management of books of accounts leading to issues with accountability and transparency.
  • Inadequate post-harvest infrastructure leading to wastage

Value-added products from Agri waste through waste to wealth Approach

  • Crop residue burning damages soil nutrients, the organic quality of the soil, solubility capacity and micro-organisms in the upper layer and leads to environmental pollution and also adds a layer of impenetrable ash at the field level.
  • Waste management is a burning problem that warrants a multi-directional approach. Not all types of Agricultural residues can be handled in one place or by a single agency.
  • The quantity and volume of different types of waste generated also vary

How can technology be used to benefit local businesses for sustainable practices and encourage tourists to access those tourist places in India?

  • How can tourists visiting a tourism destination learn about the regional importance within that area?
  • What can local businesses do to become more sustainable, especially in relation to visitors and tourists?
  • How can locally produced products get involved in tourism to help raise awareness of their sustainable products?
  • What barriers might be preventing or limiting consumers and tourists to explore?

Sustainable fashion is a fashion method that prioritizes the environment, social responsibility, and economic sustainability across a garment’s entire lifespan.

  • Sustainable fashion strives to leverage new technologies and techniques to decrease waste, save resources, and enhance working conditions in the fashion business
  • Fashion Technology includes employing environmentally friendly materials, reducing water and energy use in manufacturing, and applying fair labour practices.
  • Ultimately, sustainable fashion seeks to build a more responsible and ethical sector that helps people and the environment.

Technology-driven fitness as gameplay

Objectives are

  • Design and develop a mobile application for tracking the physical activity of each user.
  • Develop a framework for providing credits/ points to each user based on their physical activity assuming each user will engage in different kinds of physical activities such as walking, running, cycling, callisthenics, functional training, weight training etc.
  • The proposed application should integrate seamlessly with existing popular mobile applications available in the market.
  • Devise a mechanism to provide social recognition and rewards to the most physically active users through social media integration
  • Create an online community of active users participating in different physical activities by adopting different techniques for user engagement and user retention on the platform.

Blockchain technology for traceability of agri-produce from Farm to Fork

  • Blockchain technology can track the provenance of food and thus helps create trustworthy food supply chains and build trust between producers and consumers.
  • As a trusted way of storing data, it facilitates using data-driven technologies to make farming smarter.
  • In addition, jointly used with smart contracts, it allows timely payments between stakeholders that can be triggered by data changes appearing in the blockchain

Incentives

  • Fiscal Incentives
    • Cash Prize
  • Non-Fiscal Incentives
    • Incubation support at IIMBG
  • Special Incentives
    • Access to Funding Support

How to Apply?

Interested candidates can directly apply through this link.

Deadline

The last date to apply for this is July 31, 2023.

Mode of Event

The event Phase 1 & Phase 2 were conducted online and Phase 3 offline.

FAQs

Do I need to pay any money to register for the INSPIRE TECHATHON’23?

No. You do not have to pay anything to anyone to register yourself for INSPIRE TECHATHON’23

Can my entry be disqualified for some reason?

Incomplete applications or applications with inaccurate information will automatically be disqualified. Make sure that you fill in all the fields accurately.
If any participant/ participating team is found violating the terms & conditions, they can be disqualified.

How will I know if my application is selected/ rejected?

All applicants will receive regular email communication from the Organizers throughout the event.

Contact Details

  • Incharge: JEEVITHA M
  • email id: inspire[at]iimbg[dot]ac[dot]in
  • inspire[at]iimbg[dot]ac[dot]in

Click here to view the official notification of the Inspire Techathon’23 Social Innovation Challenge by IIM Bodh Gaya

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