60 teams competed at the NER Tech Hackathon 2.0 Bengaluru on May 12, 2025 funded by Northeastern Council, MDoNER, Government of India and organized by NERCORMS and Amantya Technologies – the event has become a cornerstone of success to drive 5G innovation and elevate scientific temper in North East India.
The advent of 5G technology has revolutionized connectivity, enabling faster data transmission, lower latency, and greater network reliability. Beyond its commercial applications, 5G is also playing a crucial role in fostering scientific temper—a spirit of curiosity, rational thinking, and evidence-based problem-solving.
Held on 12th of May 2025, NER Tech Hackathon 2.0 Bengaluru was inaugurated by the Chief Guest, Shri Satinder Kumar Bhalla, Hon’ble Secretary, North Eastern Council (NEC). Also present at the event were Mr. Kayio Kayina Th, Managing Director, NERCORMS and Dr Lorho Pfoze, Former Vice Chairman, North East MPs Forum. The Hackathon brought together unique combination of government and private authorities, innovators, developers, and scientists under one roof to solve real-world challenges using cutting-edge technology.
Showcasing meaningful innovation – 60 teams were carefully selected out of 1000 applicants. And after a day long process of presentation and evaluation by the judges – Akumen AI won the grand prize and there were three runners up in the form of OncoALERT, Desigo and Zeuron.ai.
Promoting 5G-led Innovation and Scientific Temper
Scientific temper thrives on experimentation and iterative learning. At NER Tech Hackathon – participants test hypotheses, analyze data, and refine solutions—mirroring the scientific method. For example, a team might develop a remote surgery application using 5G’s low latency, testing different approaches to optimize performance.
Bridging Technology and Real-World Science
5G enables advancements in IoT, AI, and big data analytics. And innovation-driven hackathon – challenge participants to integrate these technologies into practical solutions, such as:
Precision agriculture using 5G-connected drones and sensors.
– Smart healthcare diagnostics with real-time data processing.
– Disaster management systems leveraging high-speed connectivity.
These applications reinforce the importance of evidence-based innovation, a cornerstone of scientific temper.
Innovators and Innovation
Akumen AI – INSIGHT for Differently Abled
Akumen Artificial Intelligence Pvt. Ltd. is a startup aiming to develop affordable Assistive Devices for the DIVYANGS (Differently Abled People) using cutting edge technologies like Computer Vision, Machine Learning, 3D Printing etc. INSIGHT is an innovative offering by the organisation – it is an assistive wearable device that empowers visually impaired and elderly individuals with AI-driven assistance.
Thiyam Akuvan from Akumen AI
Designed as a pair of smart glasses, INSIGHT integrates a camera, speaker, microphone, and a low-power LiDAR sensor and other sensors—all embedded on a compact, wire-less form factor to ensure comfort, ease of use, and reliability.
Sharing details on their innovation, Thiyam Akuvan, founder of Akumen Artificial Intelligence Pvt. Ltd., said, “INSIGHT uses custom-trained, lightweight AI models for efficient performance on low-power hardware. Although some of the features require internet connection, these models enable the device to detect objects, describe surroundings, read documents and currencies, and recognize faces and scenes without needing an internet connection. A notable innovation is the use of LiDAR to provide depth sensing and obstacle detection, enhancing spatial awareness. It also includes fall detection capabilities, triggering automatic alerts to emergency contacts in the event of an accident. What makes INSIGHT truly inclusive is its support for multilingual voice interactions—including regional Indian languages—powered by indigenous language models such as BHASHINI. This local language support significantly increases usability and acceptance across diverse communities in India. Unlike expensive imported solutions, INSIGHT is designed, developed, and will be manufactured entirely in India under the “Make in India” and “Accessible India” initiatives, ensuring affordability and contextual relevance. The modular design enables future scalability into areas like Parkinson’s care, cognitive support, and safety wearables for workers. INSIGHT aims to bridge the digital divide with intelligent, context-aware, assistive technology that is both accessible and empowering.”
Desigo – Reimagining India’s Dairy Ecosystem
Desigo® is reimagining India’s dairy ecosystem for the modern age. This innovation unifies AI, IoT, satellite analytics, and alternative-powered cold chain to deliver single-origin milk from indigenous cows—fully traceable, plastic-free, and ethically sourced.
Pooja Vishnoi from Desigo
Talking about their innovation, Pooja Vishnoi, COO, Desigo, explained, “With the help of our innovation – we have replaced disposable pouches with RFID-tagged, thermal-regulated multi-use containers. Desigo® was born out of deep field research into India’s fragmented, trust-deficit dairy landscape. Despite years of progress of the dairy industry & regulatory, consumers remained unsure of what they were drinking, while over 300 million plastic pouches were being dumped daily. We saw the urgent need to bridge the trust gap and create a climate-responsible, zero-waste dairy model.
Meanwhile, our proprietary AI models forecast milk quality by analyzing vegetation patterns and climatic conditions at the farm—ensuring unmatched purity, transparency, and climate resilience. Desigo® was born out of deep field research into India’s fragmented, trust-deficit dairy landscape. Despite years of progress of the dairy industry & regulatory, consumers remained unsure of what they were drinking, while over 300 million plastic pouches were being dumped daily. We saw the urgent need to bridge the trust gap and create a climate-responsible, zero-waste dairy model.
Winning the prestigious NER Tech Hackathon is expected to give super speed to our partnership and operations in the region. It validated our model and opened doors to collaborate with NERCORM & AMANTYA Technologies to explore 5G technology & to pilot plastic-free milk delivery in the North East—leveraging local cow breeds, empowering rural women, and deploying 5G-enabled smart control centers for real-time monitoring,” she added on.
Zeuron.ai – MiMo, the Gamified Rehab
Zeuron.ai’s innovation comes in the form of MiMo™, which is a portable, AI-powered neuro-compute console that delivers therapeutic games and movement-based training to support both children with neurodevelopmental challenges and elders with neurodegenerative conditions.
Siddharth Shivakumar Nair from Zeuron.ai
From the outside, it looks like a sleek, handheld console. But inside, it’s a powerful system that combines computer vision, motion analysis, and real-time AI to guide users through activities that are not only fun, but scientifically designed to improve brain and motor function.
Giving details on their innovation – Siddharth Shivakumar Nair, Founder & CEO, Zeuron.ai said, “Our innovation comes in the form of – MiMo™ Neuro-Compute Console + Zeuron Cloud – A portable, game-fueled brain–body interface that delivers clinically validated neuro-therapy and cognitive training over 5G. Think “Nintendo Switch meets neurology clinic”—gamified rehab, AI-driven diagnostics, and real-time analytics in one rugged, lunch-box-sized device. In a country where quality neurological care is often hundreds of kilometers away, what happens to a child with autism in a small town? Or a grandfather with Parkinson’s living in a tea estate village? Too often, the answer is: nothing. No therapy, no progress—just waiting. At Zeuron.ai, we’re changing this with MiMo.
For children, MiMo supports therapy for:
– Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
– Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
– Developmental coordination and learning difficulties
For adults and elders, MiMo enables at-home care for:
– Parkinson’s Disease
– Early-stage Dementia and Alzheimer’s
– Post-stroke neuro-motor rehabilitation
The beauty of MiMo is that it’s built for low-resource settings—fewer hospital visits, no complicated wires, no specialist supervision needed. Just switch it on, play, and progress.
Winning 1st Runner-Up at the NER Tech Hackathon was a huge moment. It showed the country that MiMo works, not just in labs but in the real world. More importantly, it gave us direct access to pilot in the North-East, one of India’s most underserved regions for neuro-care.” He added.
OncoALERT – AI Driven Screening for Oral Cancer
Developed by Astracus Innovus – OncoALERT is an AI-powered, 5G-connected patented platform that can detect oral cancer with 92-95% accuracy in minutes, and this innovation does detection without any intervention of labs or specialists.
Dr Jayanti Kumari, Founder, Astracus Innovus, said, “In Assam, oral cancer claims a life every hour. With an incidence rate of 23.2 per 100,000 males-triple the national average-the Northeast faces a silent epidemic devastating entire communities. The culprit? Current screening relies on visual detection alone, essentially a coin flip with 50% accuracy. Thousands of treatable cancers go undetected until it’s too late.
Dr Jayanti Kumari from Astracus Innovus
OncoALERT rewrites this narrative. Our target is ambitious yet necessary: screening 55 crore Indians above 30 and the 26.7 crore tobacco users facing 42× higher risk. Our α-prototype, developed with IIT Madras and AIIMS Delhi, is launching a 500-person pilot screening program with Dr. Ravi Kannan in Cachar’s most remote villages.
Backed by international recognition from MSF and Indo-Canada programs, we’re engineering a lifeline for the Northeast’s most vulnerable populations, where geography and inaccessibility have traditionally meant delayed diagnosis and preventable deaths.
A clinician turned biodesign innovator (THSTI, Dept. of Biotechnology, GoI), my journey from treating patients in rural Dholai, Assam, to working with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF- South Asia) drove one burning question: why wait for patients to reach hospitals when disease detection could happen at home?
Witnessing late-stage oral cancer devastate underserved communities wasn’t just professional observation-it became my life’s purpose. OncoALERT was born in THSTI-DBT research labs and Assam’s fields. With Dr. Susmita Chaudhuri, Dr. Chaitali Singhal, and Dr. Sweta Pandey, we conducted extensive field research from Pali to Halakhandi, analyzing grassroots clinical workflows while developing our novel platform. Collaborating with experts like Dr. Gagandeep Kang (BMGF Global Diagnostics Head) and Dr. Jayraj Joseph (IIT Madras), we rallied resources to make OncoALERT a reality-a journey possible only on giant’s shoulders.
Winning NER TECH Hackathon among 1000+ builders, reaching the final 10, taught me immense perseverance. Even without winning, the subject matter experts’ feedback would’ve been prize enough.
Now, with NERCORMS network support, Amantya’s 5G technological expertise, and NE Government backing, we aim to deploy OncoALERT across all eight northeastern states soon. Beyond cancer detection- our vision is to preserve families, protect livelihoods, and reclaim futures that would otherwise be lost. The impact multiplies through deeper grassroots adoption.” She added on.
NER Tech Hackathon 2.0 Bengaluru was adjudicated by Mr. Donald Mawlot, Manager – ICT, NERCORMS; Mr. Saji Radhakrishnan, B2B Network Head, Airtel Karnataka; Mr Raj Narula, CEO – INCA Synergies; Dr. Sajan Kapil, Professor, IIT Guwahati; Dr. Amrita Anand, Scientific Researcher, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Delhi; Mr. Pradeep Garani, SVP – Jio Platforms; Mr. Deepak Agarwal, Managing Partner, Venture Catalysts; Mr. Gaurav Aggarwal, VP – Jio Platforms; Mr. Sreenivasa Rao Pudipatla, Dassault Systems.
AkumenAI, OncoALERT, Desigo and Zeuron.ai have won awards at the NER Tech Hackathon 2.0 Bengaluru on 12th of May 2025.
