Nasscom, Meta launch challenge to foster startup, developer community in open-source, Gen AI domains

Industry body NASSCOM on Thursday said it has partnered with social media giant Meta  to launch the 'Open-Source Generative AI Grand Challenge', aimed at fostering a startup and developer community that can work on open-source and Gen AI technologies for socio-economic impact.

Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), which operates under the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY), is the technology partner for the challenge and will provide computing infrastructure.

"Aimed at providing opportunities to startups and the developer community to build Gen AI solutions using open-source technologies in various sectors, NASSCOM in partnership with Meta has launched the Open-Source Generative AI Grand Challenge. The challenge aims to showcase the potential socio-economic impact of these innovations on society and businesses," Nasscom said in a statement.

The challenge aims to connect top solutions with industry leaders in relevant sectors to promote broader adoption, it added.

It invites generative AI startups and developers to create impactful solutions in domains such as education, enterprise and e-governance.

"Openly available AI models help democratise access to cutting-edge AI technology, by enabling Indian developers build innovative solutions for applications across domains such as education, enterprise and e-governance. Open innovation can further develop India's AI capabilities while promoting safety and innovation for unlocking economic growth," Shivnath Thukral, Vice President and Head of Public Policy (India), Meta, said.

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Winners of the challenge in each category will be awarded up to Rs 4 lakh and runners-up in each category will receive up to Rs 1 lakh each.

Additionally, participants will get mentored by senior industry professionals to refine their projects during the grand challenge.

"By empowering developers with open-source tools, we can drive significant socio-economic impact. We look forward to seeing creative solutions that address real-world problems and contribute to the broader AI ecosystem," said Ankit Bose, Head, NASSCOM AI.