“Axtria organises Hackathon in collaboration with the Data Analytics Society of IIT Kharagpur”

• Axtria partnered with the premier engineering institute, IIT Kharagpur, to encourage youths to solve real-world problems in the life sciences and healthcare industry using AI and data analytics modelling.
• Nearly 3500 candidates registered in the Hackathon that was launched in December 2022
• KDAG (Kharagpur Data Analytics Group) is a student-driven research group of IIT Kharagpur aimed at bringing Data Analytics and Machine Learning enthusiasts together under the umbrella of a single society.

New Delhi: Axtria Inc., a global leader of award-winning cloud software and data analytics for the life sciences industry, today announced the winner of the annual Hackathon organized by the Data Analytics Group of IIT Kharagpur. The six-week event attracted nearly 3500 registrants of skills in AI and ML who, in the second round, were offered a challenge to solve a real-world problem of the life sciences and healthcare industry using AI and data analytics models. 

More than 3500 candidates registered, 755 teams were shortlisted for the First round- Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ), 77 teams (team size 1-4 members) participated in the problem statement, 11 teams were invited for in-person jury round at IIT Kharagpur. Teams comprised from colleges such as IIT Kharagpur, IIT Varanasi, IIT Kanpur, IIT Dhanbad, IIM-Calcutta, Delhi Technological University, NIT Rourkela, VIT Pune, Jadavpur University, etc.

Eleven teams presented their solutions on January 21, 2023, to the jury comprising Manish Agarwal, Director, and Prakash Singh, Senior Manager, with Axtria’s Decision Science team. Submissions were evaluated based on innovation, real-world implementation, and execution possibilities.

India is a land of talent in STEM but nurturing this talent is important by providing the generation access to education and training in AI and data analytics. This can be done through such programs as coding camps, hackathons, and mentorship opportunities. Additionally, investment in research and development in AI and data analytics in the healthcare industry can provide opportunities to apply their skills in real-world projects. It is also important to make the new entrants understand the criticality of AI and data analytics being used ethically, responsibly, and in a way that benefits patients.

Speaking on the importance of STEM and data science in healthcare and possibilities for young talent from India, Manish Mittal, Head of Global Delivery at Axtria, a global leader of award-winning cloud software and data analytics for the life sciences industry, said, “Axtria is delighted to be associated with the Hackathon event organized by IIT Kharagpur’s Data Analytics team. STEM and data science are the driving forces of the healthcare industry. With the right knowledge and skills, young talent from India has the power to unlock new possibilities and create innovative solutions that can improve the lives of millions.”

The winning team, Lunatic Bytes from IIT Kharagpur, presented the solution’s applicability to real-world problems and the techniques they used to analyze big data effectively. Cash prizes were awarded to the winners and the top two runner-ups.

Joginder Tuteja, Head of Campus Recruitment at Axtria, said, “Axtria has always been supportive of talent and opportunities for people to excel in the field of data analytics and machine learning. IIT Kharagpur has been shaping young minds and moulding them for the future. Courses like data analytics and machine learning are what Axtria has been focusing on and has built its business on, as they are the needs of the future. We are delighted to encourage and interact with such brilliant minds.”

Pharma companies are increasingly relying on patient-level data to address patient outcomes and benefits by tracking end-to-end treatment journeys and making informed decisions to ensure the timely availability of medicine. As per a report by Allied Market Research, the global healthcare analytics market size is projected to reach $96.90 BN by 2030. However, the massive volume of unstructured data and the usage of primitive methods of recording these data limits the quality of cure for an existing and a new patient. The hackathon entailed bringing out innovative data science models to solve the problem.

By supporting academic institutes in these events, Axtria endeavors to support youth in sharpening their coding and programming skills and learning possibilities of these skills in the world of healthcare with real impact. The participants of the Axtria-sponsored KDAG Hackathon were required to use innovative coding approaches to analyze a huge volume of unstructured data to bring solutions to support faster decision-making that impacts patient care.