In an effort to bridge academic innovation with industry application, SBI Life Insurance hosted Hack-AI-Thon 2025, a nationwide AI challenge that brought together over 50 participants from top institutes to address operational and customer-focused issues in the life insurance sector.
The initiative involved more than 16 teams of developers and AI enthusiasts representing institutions from cities including Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Indore, Bhopal, and Delhi. Over the course of several weeks, participants worked on AI-led proposals targeting areas such as predictive analytics, fraud detection, customer engagement, and process automation.
The competition concluded with a final presentation round evaluated by a panel of professionals from the insurance and technology industries. Teams were assessed based on innovation, feasibility, scalability, and potential impact.
The Innovation Brigade team from Bhopal, composed of Asha Vidyadharan and Rameez Khan, was named the winner. Indore-based team Black Bird took the first runner-up position. Plutus.AI from Trichy and Semantics from Pune were recognized as second runners-up.
SBI Life chief of brand, corporate communication and CSR, Ravindra Sharma, said the initiative was intended to engage emerging problem-solvers in addressing insurance sector challenges.
“At SBI Life, we believe that innovation must serve a meaningful purpose, and this initiative reflects our ongoing commitment to fostering technology-led thinking that is human-centric and impactful," said Sharma. “It is this blend of innovation and intent that we believe will help shape a more inclusive and empowering future not only for the insurance sector but the nation as a whole."
Some of the concepts presented during Hack-AI-Thon 2025 may be selected for pilot testing or integration into SBI Life’s digital development plans, though specific solutions or timelines were not disclosed.
Following the announcement of their win, the Innovation Brigade team described the experience as valuable, and acknowledged the support they received throughout the competition. They also noted the level of competition from other teams nationwide.
Established in October 2000, SBI Life Insurance is registered with the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) as of March 2001. The company provides protection, pension, savings, and health products to both individual and group clients across India.
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