MoSPI-AICTE's STATATHON 2025–26 Awards ₹1 Lakh Each to Five Winning Teams at Grand Finale Hosted by Manav Rachna

Winning Teams at Grand Finale Hosted by Manav Rachna

• Airavata, Kryptos, Hacktro Tricks, Outlier Coders and Nexora emerge winners across five national challenge tracks
  • Competition attracted over 5,300 submissions from students across India

Faridabad, June 19, 2026: Teams Airavata, Kryptos, Hacktro Tricks, Outlier Coders and Nexora were awarded ₹1 lakh each after emerging as winners across five challenge tracks at the Grand Finale of STATATHON 2025–26, a national innovation challenge organized by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Government of India, in collaboration with AICTE. The event was hosted at Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies (MRIIRS), Faridabad, the only institution in the country selected to host the Grand Finale of the prestigious competition.

The competition received more than 5,300 submissions from students across the country, with 25 finalist teams advancing to the 36-hour Grand Finale. Participants were tasked with developing innovative solutions to real-world challenges within India’s statistical ecosystem, leveraging Artificial Intelligence, data science, analytics, and automation.

In the Data Security and Compliance category, Airavata emerged as the winner for the problem statement, “Evaluation of Effectiveness of Data Encryption/Anonymisation Adopted for Unit-level Data of NSS and Creation of an Improved Safe Data Tool.” Renox was declared runner-up and received a cash prize of ₹50,000.

Kryptos secured the top prize in the Data Dissemination category for the challenge, “Create an API Gateway to Run SQL Queries on Survey Datasets and Retrieve the Results in a User-Friendly Form like JSON.” The Missing Semicolon was named runner-up.

For the Data Collection challenge, Hacktro Tricks won the top honours for developing a solution for an “AI-Powered Smart Survey Tool for Survey Data Collection,” while Zenthic Echo secured the runner-up position.

In the Data Processing and Analysis category, Outlier Coders emerged victorious for the challenge titled “AI-Enhanced Application for Automated Data Preparation, Estimation and Report Writing.” Dynamite was declared runner-up.

Meanwhile, Nexora won the Data Collection and Processing challenge for its solution to “AI-enabled Semantic Search for National Classification of Occupation (NCO),” while Rising Phoenix and Amrit Kaal Champions were jointly declared runners-up.

Each winning team received a cash prize of ₹1 lakh, while runners-up were awarded ₹50,000 each. The solutions were evaluated by an expert jury comprising government officials, academicians, industry leaders, and domain specialists on parameters including innovation, scalability, technical feasibility, and potential impact on governance and statistical processes.

Speaking at the valedictory ceremony, Sh. Kanishk Kant Srivastava, Director, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Government of India, said, “The five problem statements identified by the Ministry were based on real challenges faced by the official statistical system, and it was encouraging to see students apply their learning and technical expertise to develop innovative, practical solutions. I congratulate the winning teams and encourage all participants to continue striving forward, as every experience contributes to future success and innovation.”

Echoing the sentiment, Sh. Soumya Chakraborty, Deputy Director General, National Statistics Office, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Government of India, said, “The enthusiasm, technological competence, and commitment displayed by the teams have been truly impressive. What stood out was the way participants embraced feedback, refined their solutions, and continuously improved their products. While a few teams received trophies, every team that reached this stage is a winner in our eyes. The solutions developed for these real-life statistical challenges have the potential to be valuable for the official statistical system, and I hope this experience encourages participants to continue their innovation journey.”

Dr. Naresh Grover, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies (MRIIRS), Faridabad, said, “Over the two days, STATATHON 2025–26 has demonstrated the power of data analytics and evidence-based decision-making in addressing real-world challenges. The enthusiasm, creativity, and analytical rigor displayed by the participants reflect the growing importance of statistical thinking in today’s data-driven world. More than a hackathon, this initiative has been a celebration of collaboration between government, academia, industry, and young innovators. While a few teams received awards, every participant emerged as a winner by gaining new knowledge, strengthening problem-solving skills, and experiencing collaborative learning.”

STATATHON 2025–26 was designed to encourage students to apply emerging technologies to real-world public-sector challenges and contribute to strengthening India’s statistical ecosystem. The initiative brought together policymakers, statisticians, technology experts, industry leaders, and young innovators to explore how data-driven innovation can enhance governance and support evidence-based decision-making.