• 25 finalist teams to develop AI-powered
solutions for strengthening India's statistical and governance ecosystem
Faridabad: The Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Implementation (MoSPI), Government of India, in collaboration with AICTE, is
organizing the Grand Finale of STATATHON 2025–26, a 36-hour
national-level Grand Challenge, at Manav Rachna International Institute of
Research and Studies (MRIIRS), Faridabad, on 17–18 June 2026.
STATATHON
is a flagship initiative aimed at promoting the innovative use of statistics,
data science, Artificial Intelligence, and analytics for solving real-world
governance challenges. This year, the competition received an overwhelming
response, with more than 5,300 submissions from students across India.
Following a rigorous multi-stage evaluation process, 25 teams comprising
approximately 125 students have been shortlisted for the Grand Finale.
The inaugural session was attended by Mr. Rohit Bhardwaj,
Additional Director General, Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Implementation (MoSPI); Dr. N.H. Siddalinga Swamy, Advisor, AICTE; Dr. Pradeep
Dhage, Assistant Director, Innovation Cell, AICTE; Sh. Rajiv Kapoor, Managing
Director, Manav Rachna Educational Institutions; and Dr. N.C. Wadhwa, Director
General, Manav Rachna Educational Institutions, along with policymakers,
academic leaders, industry experts, mentors, jury members, and participating teams.
The gathering underscored the growing importance of innovation, data-driven
governance, and cross-sector collaboration in building a future-ready
statistical ecosystem for the nation.
Speaking at the inauguration, Mr. Rohit Bhardwaj,
Additional Director General, Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Implementation (MoSPI), said, "STATATHON is not merely an academic
exercise; it is a platform for developing solutions that can be implemented in
real-world governance systems. We have seen promising ideas from previous
editions progress to pilot stages, and we are committed to taking forward
solutions that demonstrate real value. The challenges presented in this
hackathon address genuine pain points faced by the official statistical system,
ranging from multilingual data collection and faster data processing to data
security and dissemination. We encourage participants to develop sustainable,
scalable and practical solutions that can be integrated into government
workflows and contribute to strengthening India's statistical ecosystem. The
journey does not end with the hackathon - it begins here."
Welcoming the dignitaries and participants, Mr. Rajiv
Kapoor, Managing Director, Manav Rachna Educational Institutions, said, "It
is a matter of immense pride for Manav Rachna to host the Grand Finale of
STATATHON 2026 and welcome some of the country's brightest young innovators to
our campus. More than a competition, this initiative represents the power of
collaboration between government, academia, industry, and young talent to
address challenges of national importance. The solutions being developed here
have the potential to strengthen India's statistical and governance ecosystem
and improve the quality of data-driven decision-making. As India advances
towards the vision of Viksit Bharat, platforms such as STATATHON play a crucial
role in empowering young innovators to create scalable solutions with
meaningful societal impact and contribute to nation-building."
Addressing the gathering, Dr. N.H. Siddalinga Swamy,
Advisor, AICTE, said, "STATATHON is a reflection of India's growing
innovation ecosystem, which has been strengthened through initiatives such as
the Smart India Hackathon. In today's world, data is a powerful resource, and
this platform provides young innovators with an opportunity to develop
solutions for real challenges faced by government institutions. The ideas being
developed here are not academic exercises; they have the potential to be
adopted and implemented, creating meaningful impact for governance and society.
More importantly, participants have an opportunity to contribute to
nation-building through innovation, and to create solutions that can make a
difference in the lives of people across the country."
The Grand Finale will culminate on June 18, 2026, with
finalist teams presenting their solutions before an expert jury panel, followed
by the announcement of winners. Beyond the competition, the programme seeks to
identify scalable solutions that can be piloted and integrated into the
National Statistical System, enabling wider adoption of emerging technologies
in public governance. Through STATATHON 2026, MoSPI, in collaboration with the
Ministry of Education's Innovation Cell, aims to strengthen India's statistical
infrastructure, improve public decision-making, and accelerate the country's
journey towards a digitally empowered and data-driven future.