India Welcomes ITU-WTSA 24: A Landmark Event for the Asia-Pacific Region

The two-day in-person coding competition kicked off today at Bharat Mandapam, featuring 12 shortlisted teams—seven from India and five international. Over the next two days, these teams will develop cutting-edge AI and machine learning (AI/ML) solutions for next-generation 5G and 6G networks. The hackathon is supported by an elite panel of mentors, including 12 Indian and two international experts, along with guidance from an ITU Programme Officer.

This event, open to both Indian and international participants, provides an exceptional platform for collaboration.

The first phase, which ran from August 7 to September 30, 2024, was launched by the Secretary of the Department of Telecom in the presence of senior ITU officials and experts from IIT Delhi. During this online phase, participants from diverse backgrounds, including international teams, competed in a series of challenges aimed at integrating AI/ML into 5G/6G infrastructures. Five mentoring sessions were conducted, with all teams submitting detailed project repositories. These sessions were primarily held every Wednesday from August 7 to August 28, 2024. Additionally, a half-hour session was part of the WTSA outreach program on September 26, 2024, in Delhi, Hyderabad, and Bangalore.

The hackathon focuses on two problem statements:

AI Bharat 5G/6G Sandbox – Build Your Own AI/ML Model for 5G/6G: Teams will develop AI/ML pipelines leveraging ITU recommendations, including ITU-T Y.3172 and ITU-T Y.3061, to create innovative use cases for 5G/6G.

AI Bharat 5G/6G Sandbox – Build Your Own xApp for Autonomous 5G/6G: Participants will create xApps to enhance autonomous 5G/6G networks, guided by ITU experts.

Inaugurating the second phase, Ms. Madhu Arora, Member (Technology), Digital Communication Commission, warmly welcomed the distinguished guests, participants, and winners of the first phase, saying, “This international hackathon is a platform for young innovators to turn their visions into reality and make a tangible impact on society.”

She also emphasized the hackathon’s importance, stating, “The integration of AI/ML into 5G and 6G technologies opens up limitless possibilities, and I eagerly anticipate the innovative solutions that will emerge from this initiative.”

Participants are tackling critical challenges with real-world applications, including smart city transit, flood monitoring, traffic optimization, women’s safety with “AuratRaksha,” SIM fraud protection, and network reliability, using AI/ML technologies integrated with 5G and 6G networks. Teams have access to cutting-edge resources such as cloud credits, simulators, and compute servers. The event also features expert talks from global leaders in AI and telecommunications.

The hackathon’s use cases span a wide range of fields, including:

• Next Gen: A 5G-enabled smart city public transportation system for seamless data flow and real-time updates.
• Vajra IITB: A flood monitoring and alerting system for real-time emergency response in urban areas.
• BLAZE-IITJ: A 5G-enabled drone resource scheduling framework using AI for ultra-reliable low-latency communications.
• IIITA ECE: A waste management system to prevent riverbed pollution.
• Tech Rangers: An AI-driven initiative to reduce the 6G standards barrier for African contributors.
• HexaCore: A women’s safety platform, “AuratRaksha,” designed for real-time alerts in unsafe situations.
• Neural Nomads: AgriShield – AI-Driven 5G/6G Solutions for Small-Scale Farmers, focused on improving agricultural resilience for small-scale farmers in Zimbabwe and Africa. The platform uses AI-powered crop monitoring and predictive analytics to provide real-time insights, while also streamlining farm-to-market logistics through an integrated AI marketplace, empowering farmers with data-driven decision-making tools.

Ms. Madhu Arora concluded by encouraging participants to push the boundaries of innovation, “The solutions you create here have the potential to shape the future of global telecommunications.”

As the event progresses, participants will continue refining their projects, leading to the announcement of winners, who will be awarded and recognized at the closing ceremony.

Prizes: The top three teams will receive $1,000, $700, and $500, respectively. Special recognition will be given to the Best Student Team, Best Start-up, and Best Female Team, each receiving $500.

The AI Bharat 5G/6G Hackathon has become a hub for innovation, bringing together students, startups, and technology enthusiasts from India and across the globe. It will help shape the future of AI and next-generation telecommunications.