Silchar, Oct. 21: The second edition of the Mobile10X hackathon, a unique initiative from Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), will kick off at the Yuva Vikas Kendra near Kalibari, Amingaon, in Guwahati tomorrow.
The two-day event is specially curated to search and support quality app developers in the Northeast.
The association has taken an initiative to conduct nationwide hackathons, particularly in smaller towns. The central department of science and technology and social media network Facebook have partnered with the association on this initiative.
NE8 Startups, a start-up accelerator platform exclusively for the Northeast, is the outreach partner of the event.
Anisha Das, the operations head of NE8 Startups, said, "The hackathon culture is an indication of taking the concept of problem-solving forward. In developed start-up communities, hackathons are now used for unconventional hiring in tech companies as well. Entrepreneurship in the Northeast is developing, and if it has to head towards the right direction, the start-up community will need to embrace the hackathon culture, where finding and designing innovative solutions to problem statements are the basic foundation."
She added that the main reason behind the event was to reach out to talent and ideas and physically be present in cities to help them come forward and connect to the highway of app development.
Riddhinil Roy, the founder of NE8 Startups, told The Telegraph that the participants would prepare a new mobile application each as part of the two-day programme.
"The participants will be provided technical help and they need to work 24X7 to prepare the app. The organisers will make the arrangements for refreshments and Internet for the participants. Later, they will be judged and prizes will be awarded," he added.
Roy had also co-founded Biocognizance, a life science-biotech based start-up, which was recently acquired by a German company from Bremen in an all-stock deal.
He said they had been in the process of shortlisting the ideas which were sent from different parts of the Northeast.
"As many as 40 teams or ideas will be selected. The winners will get the opportunity to demonstrate their apps to the mobile industry leaders and jury members at a large event in New Delhi in December this year," he added.
India today has over 350 million Internet users, 250 million mobile Internet users of which 160 million are connected smartphone users. Research indicates that the number of Internet users would increase to 500 million by 2017, and 700 million by 2020. Mobile10X facilitates app developers to flourish in this eco-system.