The contest this year is about bringing a positive change to society, through the three themes: detecting fraud and preventing business malpractice; creating an inclusive digital India; and empowering women.
Accenture, in association with Yahoo India, recently launched its fifth season of #InnovationJockeys: The Hunt for India’s most Innovative Minds. The contest invites full-time undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students in India to use technology to develop innovative ideas. The goal of this year’s contest is to bring a positive change to society, through three themes — detecting fraud and preventing business malpractice; creating an inclusive digital India; and empowering women.
Applicants for the #InnovationJockeys 2016 contest can register solo or in teams of up to four members. The contenders will have to submit ideas for either of the following — solutions for detecting fraud and preventing malpractice; platforms or applications that support the creation of a ‘digital India’ in which all citizens can participate and enjoy ‘digital citizenship’; or, solutions that will empower the lives of women by improving their health, safety and employment opportunities.
The deadline for submitting the ideas is 17 August. The submissions will go through an initial round of review by the contest’s jury, and the final shortlisted participants will be invited to present their ideas to the jury in the grand finale, in Bengaluru, on 20 October.
“The last four seasons of #Innovation Jockeys have generated more than 9,300 ideas from students across India,” says Raghavan Iyer, managing director, technology delivery and innovation council lead for Accenture in India. “They have also inspired innovative ideas on emerging technologies and given young minds an opportunity to stand out. This year, we urge students to think about inclusive innovation and to develop pioneering ideas that tackle challenges that society faces every day.”
“This year marks the fifth season of Innovation Jockeys and we are expecting a grander participation. It has been very exciting to be associated with a platform that encourages young minds to take on challenges, innovate and envision a better tomorrow,” says Unni Aravindakshan, vice president, production engineering and head, Yahoo Software Development India. He further adds, “We look forward to identifying even more such individuals this year, and providing them with the inspiration to take their ideas forward.”
Members of the Grand Prize winning team will receive an Apple MacBook Pro. They will also have the opportunity to visit the Accenture Technology Labs in Dublin, Ireland, or in Silicon Valley, California, USA, or visit the Accenture Internet of Things (IoT) Centre of Excellence in Singapore. Winners for each of the three themes will receive an Apple Watch, and the Jury’s Choice Award winners will receive a Bose SoundLink BT Speaker. Accenture has also introduced a new award category in this year’s contest: a women’s team will be recognized separately, with its members receiving a Kindle Paperwhite. Additionally, all eligible participants of the grand finale will be given a chance to participate in a fast-track recruitment process at Accenture.
