The Maverick Effect AI Challenge, jointly organized by Gujarat Technological University, the Dewang Mehta Foundation Trust and Harish Mehta, aims to spark the next generation of innovation in the field of Artificial Intelligence.

Thirty odd years ago, a small group of Indians set out to build India’s IT industry. With little capital and no blueprint to follow, what carried these entrepreneurs forward was a willingness to solve hard problems together. That spirit became the Maverick Effect, and it transformed the Indian IT sector and, through it, India.

NASSCOM was where that spirit took shape. Its frugal, inventive, problemsolving approach carried the Maverick Effect well beyond the IT industry, helping create jobs, opening up social mobility, and putting affordable internet within reach of ordinary people. What began as an industry story ended up enhancing opportunities for millions of Indians.

The Maverick Effect AI Challenge hands the next move to you.

Artificial intelligence is the frontier your generation gets to shape. This challenge asks students and teams to take on real-world problems with AI solutions that show ingenuity, technical prowess, and genuine societal impact. We are looking for how you can tackle a real problem that someone in India is living with right now. A farmer watching a crop fail. A patient who cannot reach a doctor in time. Or an unsuspecting person being talked out of their savings on a scam call.

Pick one of the nine problem statements. Build something honest and useful that could matter beyond the screen it runs on. Show us how you can contribute to a future where India’s global perception as a tech-leader stands enhanced with the prowess of AI.