Submit a detailed one-page concept note covering their problem statement, solution design, technology stack, and societal impact
NV Paulose, Chairman, Global TV +91 98441 82044
MANGALURU — St Aloysius (Deemed to be University), acting through the St Aloysius Foundation and the St Aloysius Institute of Management and Information Technology (AIMIT Centre) in Beeri, Kotekar, has officially announced the launch of the nationwide FinTech Innovation Hackathon 2026. Operating in partnership with its Knowledge Partner, the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) in Bengaluru, the initiative builds directly upon Dakshina Kannada’s rich banking heritage to foster secure, inclusive, and scalable digital financial solutions.
The hackathon invites students, aspiring entrepreneurs, developers, researchers, technology enthusiasts, early-stage startup founders, and working professionals to address a critical vulnerability at the heart of India’s digital payments landscape: fraud detection and prevention. Participating teams are challenged to design innovative, AI/ML-driven solutions capable of identifying and mitigating real-time threats such as mule accounts, fraudulent onboarding, transaction anomalies, account takeovers, UPI scams, QR-code tampering, and deepfake-enabled fraud. These solutions aim to strengthen the security, trust, and resilience of India’s digital financial infrastructure while ensuring data privacy and explainability.
The competition follows a comprehensive, six-stage innovation journey. Registrations open from October 11 to 31, 2026, requiring two-member teams to submit a detailed one-page concept note covering their problem statement, solution design, technology stack, and societal impact via the official portal at fintech-hackathon.aimit.edu.in. Following screening and short-listing between November 2 and 7, participants will engage in an online orientation from November 10 to 12, followed by an online idea refinement workshop for the top 50 teams from November 16 to 18.
The top 30 shortlisted teams will advance to an intensive three-day residential boot camp held from December 4 to 6, 2026, at the AIMIT Campus in Mangaluru. This immersive experience features technical clinics on APIs, cybersecurity, and low-bandwidth design, alongside hands-on prototype development, mid-term evaluations, and final jury pitch presentations.
The programme offers substantial milestone-based rewards and incubation support. All participants receive a foundational orientation on the fintech and startup ecosystem, while the top 10 teams secure selection for formal incubation accompanied by seed-fund support and product-development assistance. Furthermore, the top 3 teams will compete for a total cash prize pool of ₹3,00,000. Deserving participants will also be considered for exclusive pre-incubation and internship opportunities directly with the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub spanning from January to December 2027.
