- Sayanadhikary003 from Techno Engineering College, Banipur, is awarded the runner-up
- Kasukabe Defence Group from IIT Roorkee secured the People’s Choice Award
New Delhi, March 17, 2026: EY India announced Sardar Patel Institute of Technology, Mumbai, team Dwaynefernandes470 as the winners and Sayanadhikary003 from Techno Engineering College, Banipur as the runner-up of the ‘EY Techathon 6.0: Building tomorrow’s solution for today’s India’. Now in its sixth year, EY Techathon 6.0 received over 15,000 team submissions, represented by nearly 50,000 participants from colleges and universities across the country. After a six‑month screening process, 12 teams were shortlisted for the finals.
Team Dwaynefernandes470 from Sardar Patel Institute of Technology, Mumbai won the trophy for their creatively designed agentic AI–powered RFP automation system for the FMCG sector. The solution reduces manual effort, improves bid accuracy and significantly streamlines procurement operations. It automatically discovers and prioritizes enterprise tenders using a multi‑agent workflow that summarizes documents, recommends Original Equipment Manufacturers’ (OEMs) Stock Keeping Units (SKUs), and brings all pricing information together in one place.
Team Sayanadhikary003 from Techno Engineering College, Banipur, were the runner‑up for creating an agentic omnichannel retail assistant that unifies web, mobile, WhatsApp and in‑store interactions into one seamless experience. A central master sales agent manages recommendations, inventory checks, payments, fulfilment, loyalty programs and support. It enables stores to receive real‑time operational dashboards, while an AI-driven admin console delivers zone‑level insights to enhance growth and profitability.
This year, the ‘People’s Choice Award’ was secured by Kasukabe Defence Group from IIT Roorkee. The team secured maximum number of votes for their solution VERA, which is a production‑ready platform powered by seven intelligent agents that continuously converts complex, unstructured data into decision‑grade assets.
This year’s EY Techathon challenged students to design scalable, real-world agentic AI solutions for businesses, communities, and citizens across sectors including pharma, BFSI, auto, FMCG, retail, and startups, driving innovation that can accelerate the digital transformation of Indian enterprises.
Mahesh Makhija, Partner and Technology Consulting Leader, EY India, said, “India is brimming with talent. We saw teams using AI to solve India’s thorniest problems, and they did it with ambition, confidence and skill. These are our tech leaders of tomorrow and they are ready to lead. Over the past six years, EY Techathon has transformed into a key platform for innovation, enabling young talent to think fearlessly and build solutions that create tangible impact.”
The winning team was awarded a cash prize of INR 3,00,000 while the runner-up team received a cheque of INR 2,00,000 in prize money. Members of both teams will also receive mentorship from an EY leader to further develop strategic enterprise solutions.
The winners were judged by a panel of eminent jury members comprising Ashokkan Somuveerappan, CIO, Apollo Hospitals Group; Bhuwan Lodha, CEO, AI Division, Mahindra Group; Debashis Singh, CIO, Persistent Systems; GPJ Gupta, Head Program Management, Innovation & Transformation, Aditya Birla Capital; Neeraj Sethi, Head Technology, ICICI Bank; Praveen Shrikhande, Chief Digital & IT Officer (CDIO), Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail; Shallu Kaushik, Chief Digital Officer, Tata Capital; and Sharad Kumar Agarwal, Chief of Digital & IT (CDIO), JK Tyre & Industries. Mahesh Makhija, Partner and Technology Consulting Leader, EY India and Raghavendra Rengaswamy, Consulting Leader, EY Global Delivery Services (GDS), were present at the event.
Raghavendra Rengaswamy, Consulting Leader, EY Global Delivery Services (GDS), said, “Techathon has evolved into far more than a competition; it is a powerful launchpad for India’s brightest young minds to translate bold ideas into real‑world impact. Since its inception in 2020, the platform has grown into one of the country’s most anticipated campus initiatives, consistently pushing the boundaries of innovation. At Techathon 6.0, the focus on agentic AI marks a significant shift from traditional automation to autonomous, goal‑driven systems capable of redefining industries at scale. The depth of creativity, technical rigor, and purpose‑led thinking demonstrated by the participants this year has been truly inspiring and reinforces our belief in AI as a catalyst for digital transformation. At EY GDS, we remain deeply committed to enabling such innovation and driving technology‑led progress toward a smarter, more sustainable future.”
EY’s Techathon, now in its sixth year, has become one of India’s leading campus innovation challenges, encouraging students to solve real‑world industry problems through technology. Till date, the event has attracted over 5 lakh registrations nationwide and generated more than 25,000 unique tech solutions.
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Team participants names:
- Dwaynefernandes470: Dikshant Karande | Dwayne Fernandes | Soham Ghorpade | Swain Ajit Dias
- sayanadhikary003 – Melisa Paul | Sayan Adhikary
- Kasukabe Defence – Ojasva Nema | Poorva Sharma | Nishant Bharti | Shivna Rathore | Abhishek Panwar
About EY Techathon
Techathon is more than just a competition; it is a platform where India’s brightest young minds converge to shape the nation’s future through innovation and creativity. EY Techathon, launched in 2020, is today a flagship Techathon encouraging students from all streams to use technologies such as blockchain, AI/ML to solve the distribution challenges of vaccination. Over the past 6 years, Techathon has witnessed more than 5 lakh registration from various colleges and universities in India, and 25,000 unique tech solutions addressing various real-world challenges. The objective is to encourage students to solve real-world business or societal challenges using the access to EY technology sandboxes and mentoring sessions by EY experts.
About EY
EY is building a better working world by creating new value for clients, people, society and the planet, while building trust in capital markets. Enabled by data, AI and advanced technology, EY teams help clients shape the future with confidence and develop answers for the most pressing issues of today and tomorrow. EY teams work across a full spectrum of services in assurance, consulting, tax, strategy and transactions. Fuelled by sector insights, a globally connected, multi-disciplinary network and diverse ecosystem partners, EY teams can provide services in more than 150 countries and territories.
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