THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

BHUBANESWAR, JANUARY 12, 2026

Birla Global University (BGU), a premier institution of the Birla Group, reinforced its commitment to future-ready education by successfully hosting the “Next Mind 12” GenAI Hackathon in association with the Google Developer Group on its campus. The 12-hour innovation marathon brought together talented student developers from universities and institutes across Odisha, transforming the campus into a vibrant hub of creativity, collaboration and cutting-edge technology.

Designed around two high-impact tracks — EdTech and FinTech — the hackathon challenged participants to build real-world, scalable solutions using advanced Google technologies, including Gemini and Google Cloud. The event vividly showcased the transformative power of generative artificial intelligence in redefining education delivery models, modernising financial services and strengthening digital problem-solving frameworks. A total of 20 teams competed, demonstrating impressive technical depth and originality by applying GenAI tools to personalise learning, streamline financial workflows and enhance accessibility and efficiency across sectors.

The innovations were evaluated by a distinguished panel of industry leaders comprising Arya Vedabrata, CEO of ByteIQ Analytics; Subham Acharya, Director of FxUAV; Akash Jaiswal, CEO of Wooble; and Smruti Ranjan Dhal, Senior Consultant at TCS. Their insights and feedback added strong industry relevance to the competition, giving participants a valuable perspective on translating ideas into deployable solutions.

Congratulating the participants, Prof. Kulbhushan Balooni, Vice Chancellor, Birla Global University, said, “Experiential learning plays a crucial role in preparing our young innovators for a future reshaped by Artificial Intelligence. Through innovative initiatives such as hackathons at BGU, we encourage curious and creative minds to come forward and compete. By hosting platforms such as the ‘Next Mind 12’ Gen AI Hackathon, the university is nurturing future-ready technologists and entrepreneurs capable of contributing meaningfully to India’s evolving digital economy.”

Underscoring the academic importance of the initiative, Prof. Sanjay Kuanar, Dean, School of Engineering & Technology, BGU, said, “The Next Mind 12 GenAI Hackathon bridges classroom learning with real-world application. Such initiatives foster collaboration, creativity, and innovation, enabling students to translate ideas into impactful, practical solutions, enabling students to translate ideas into impactful solutions.”

The team from IIIT Bhubaneswar emerged as the winner of the hackathon, receiving the winner’s trophy along with a cash prize of ₹25,000, presented by Prof. Kulbhushan Balooni, Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor, Birla Global University. The first and second runner-up positions were secured by teams from CV Raman Global University and Birla Global University, who were awarded cash prizes of ₹15,000 and ₹10,000 respectively.

With initiatives such as the “Next Mind 12” GenAI Hackathon, Birla Global University continues to strengthen a culture of innovation, interdisciplinary learning and deep industry engagement, empowering students to lead and shape India’s rapidly evolving digital future.