THIRUVANANTHAPURAM :  India : UST, a leading digital transformation solutions company, has announced the launch of the third edition of D3CODE (pronounced “decode”), a hackathon event for students pursuing bachelor’s or master’s degree courses at Indian universities and colleges the opportunity to develop and showcase their talent. D3CODE is a UST initiative that seeks to provide a platform for students that empowers them to solve the most pressing real-world problems and test their passion for innovation, problem-solving, design thinking, and programming skills. This year’s theme is “Exploring Generative AI: Crafting the Future” and participants can register for the 2023 hackathon on the D3 website or HackerEarth before August 15.

The first D3CODE hackathon was held in 2019 and most recently occurred in 2022. This year’s competition is focused on developing implementable Generative AI solutions. It will be held in the run-up to UST’s annual D3 technology conference at UST’s state-of-the-art technology campus in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Students pursuing bachelor’s or master’s degree courses will be eligible to participate and compete for a share of the 19 lakhs INR offered in prize money.

“We are excited to welcome the brightest and most promising students in India to participate in D3CODE 2023. At a time when dynamic AI driven solutions are reshaping life, we look forward to seeing how the next generation will take on real problems to solve some of the biggest challenges in the industry creatively. With a focus on generative AI, this year’s participants will have the opportunity to highlight their ability to innovate at our beautiful campus in Thiruvananthapuram,” said Niranjan Ramsunder, Chief Technology Officer, UST.

D3CODE 2023 key dates:

• Registration and idea submission – closes on August 15
• Round 1 – Programming challenge – August 18 – August 27
• Top 10 Shortlist announcement – August 30
• Round 2 – Video interview – August 31 – September 14
• Invitation to the shortlisted team for the finale – September 15
• Onsite finale – September 30 – October 1
• Winners announcement – October 1

D3CODE 2023 is comprised of three qualifying rounds culminating in an onsite Hackathon. The top five teams will be invited to the final in-person Hackathon at the UST Thiruvananthapuram campus, a 24-hour contest where qualifying teams build and present prototypes of their ideas to a panel of judges. The first prize winning team will be rewarded with seven lakhs Indian rupees (INR), the second prize team will receive five lakhs INR, and the third prize team will receive three lakhs INR, while the other two teams will receive honorary mentions and two lakhs INR each. In addition, each member of these five finalist teams will receive a job offer (subject to terms and conditions) from UST at one of its India locations, and the first prize winning team will have the opportunity to participate in the 2023 UST D3 conference.