IIT Madras launches first BIMSTEC AI Road Safety Hackathon

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras hosted the inaugural BIMSTEC AI Road Safety Hackathon, organized by the Centre of Excellence for Road Safety (CoERS) under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Participants from the seven BIMSTEC nations – India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand – competed on the theme “AI in Road Safety”. The event aims to develop data‑driven solutions for a region of 1.8 billion people that records roughly 200,000 road fatalities each year.

IIT Madras Director V. Kamakoti said the hackathon reflects the institute’s collaborative spirit, while CoERS head Venkatesh Balasubramanian highlighted the need for a systems approach integrating infrastructure, technology, behaviour and policy. The Ministry of External Affairs noted the shared responsibility for road safety. Team Cipher won the competition, with Civics Forge and Tejas taking second and third places, and special recognitions awarded to Thailand’s Road Legal and Nepal’s Qreators. The Ministry plans to mentor shortlisted projects for wider deployment across the region.