Startup Mahakumbh: ‘AI for Public Good’ Contest To Recognise Innovators Using AI To Create Social Impact

Startup Mahakumbh, a one-of-a-kind startup event scheduled for March 18-20 in New Delhi, will conduct a nationwide contest to recognise and celebrate innovative uses of artificial intelligence (AI) for creating positive social impact. 

The Startup Mahakumbh, slated to be the largest startup event in India, will be hosted by ASSOCHAM, in collaboration with Nasscom, Bootstrap Incubation & Advisory Foundation, TiE, and the Indian Venture and Alternate Capital Association (IVCA). It will see participation from 1,000+ high-growth startups, unicorns, domestic and global VCs, and more.

As part of the three-day event, an ‘AI for Public Good’ contest will also be held. The AI & SaaS pavilion from the Startup Mahakumbh is inviting startups, researchers, universities, domestic developers, and students to showcase their disruptive AI solutions that can make a social difference through diverse use cases. The last date to apply for the contest is March 15, 2024.

“This contest is open to everyone and it only takes five minutes to fill out the form, so we’re not asking you to create anything new.  Whether you have an app, website or research paper you’re already working on, you can submit it. We want to make the process as frictionless as possible,” said Anagh Prasad, investor at Accel and lead at the AI & SaaS pavilion.

Talking about the aim of the contest, Prasad added, “The impact of AI extends beyond the commercial sphere. Given the novelty and rapid pace of this field, we see a valuable opportunity to identify projects that prioritise social impact alongside commercial viability.”

The participants will get the opportunity to showcase their AI solutions across several categories, including affordable healthcare and assistive technology, education accessibility, human rights and social justice, governance efficiency, economic equity and empowerment, climate change mitigation, disaster response and relief, public safety and security, infrastructure and transportation, and agricultural development.

The projects submitted for the contest must be based on AI technology and address one or more public issues. Submissions must include a project overview, implementation details, impact assessment, and any relevant demos or prototypes. Participants can apply as individuals or groups.

“We believe that for the first time in human history, we have a technology like AI that has the power to drive significant improvements towards sustainable development goals (SDGs) to improve the lives of billions of Indians,” said Umakant Soni, lead for the AI & SaaS pavillion. Soni is also the chairman of AI Foundry and cofounder and former founding CEO of ARTPARK. 

The contest participants will showcase their innovation at the AI & SaaS pavilion at the Startup Mahakumbh. The top six participants will also have the opportunity to win cash prizes of INR 5 Lakh. The cash prize is sponsored by Chennai-based seed stage fund Boldcap as an equity-free grant.

“Our primary goal is to increase the visibility of these projects among government officials, industry experts and help them secure media coverage,” Prasad said. 

Commenting about the contest, angel investor Hari Balasubramanian said, “As an investor and mentor, I am always looking for innovative startups that are using technology to solve real-world problems. The AI contest at Startup Mahakumbh is a fantastic opportunity for startups to gain recognition and support for their impactful work.”