IIT Madras Hosts First International AI Road Safety Hackathon with BIMSTEC Nations

The Centre of Excellence for Road Safety (CoERS) at IIT Madras has organised its first-ever international hackathon focused on artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for road safety, bringing together students, engineers, researchers, and innovators from across the BIMSTEC region.

The BIMSTEC AI Road Safety Hackathon 2026, conducted under the aegis of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, was held at the IIT Madras campus with the theme “AI in Road Safety”. The event also coincided with AI Appreciation Day, highlighting the growing role of emerging technologies in solving critical public challenges.

A dedicated BIMSTEC track was introduced as part of the initiative, enabling participation from seven member countries India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. The hackathon aims to create a collaborative platform for developing technology-driven solutions to improve road safety across the Global South.

The initiative was announced earlier by CoERS, IIT Madras, during the India AI Impact Summit held in Delhi in February 2026. It is positioned as one of the largest AI-focused road safety challenges, connecting governments, regional organisations, and academic institutions to address a shared concern.

The BIMSTEC region, home to nearly 1.8 billion people, records close to 2 lakh road fatalities every year, underlining the urgent need for data-based interventions and intelligent transportation solutions.

IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti said road safety represents a critical area where research, technology, and policy must work together. He highlighted that the hackathon provides young innovators from BIMSTEC nations an opportunity to apply artificial intelligence and advanced technologies towards reducing road accidents and saving lives.

The institute said the initiative reflects IIT Madras’ commitment to strengthening international partnerships and encouraging innovation-led approaches to address major societal challenges through technology.