Bank of Baroda Hackathon 2025, organised in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur) under the guidance of Department of Financial Services (DFS) and Indian Banks’ Association (IBA), saw top three teams felicitated with prizes recognising their ingenuity, technical strength, and scalability potential at the grand finale at IIT Kanpur. This landmark event brought together young innovators, technologists, and entrepreneurs from across the country to address the pressing theme of “Zero Trust Security in Digital Banking”.
The hackathon saw an overwhelming response with over 420+ participants, 200+ teams, and 50+ solution entries, reflecting the growing interest in securing India’s digital financial ecosystem. After a rigorous evaluation process, 10 finalist teams were shortlisted to present their groundbreaking solutions at the Grand Finale hosted at IIT Kanpur.
The top 10 finalist teams presented their innovations covering diverse solutions, including:
- User and Entity Behaviour Analytics (UEBA)for insider threat detection
- AI-driven fraud prevention platformsfor secure transactions
- Voice and identity protection solutions
- Advanced real-time threat detection models
- Cybersecurity frameworks tailored for financial institutions
Each presentation was followed by a jury Q&A session, testing the feasibility, scalability, and long-term impact of the ideas. The passion and energy displayed by the participants underscored India’s position as a global hub of fintech and cybersecurity innovation.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Ankush Sharma praised the role of hackathons in nurturing deep-tech solutions: “Hackathons like this bridge the gap between academic innovation and industry application. The ideas presented here reflect India’s growing leadership in digital security, fintech innovation, and smart banking solutions. This initiative is a shining example of how collaboration can drive impactful, future-ready solutions.”
Saurabh Shukla, Chief Technology Officer, Bank of Baroda, emphasised the Bank’s commitment to innovation: “At Bank of Baroda, we believe in embracing technology not only to improve customer experience but also to strengthen security at every level. Zero Trust is about verifying every interaction, every time, without adding friction for our customers. The solutions presented here show immense potential to shape the future of secure banking.”
