iMEQ

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], May 23: GUVI, an IIT-Madras and IIM-Ahmedabad-incubated EdTech company, has partnered with the Government of Tamil Nadu to upskill 5,555 students across the state under the Naan Mudhalvan scheme--Tamil Nadu's flagship youth empowerment initiative.

Launched in association with the Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation (TNSDC), the GUVI Hackathon 2025 aimed to bridge the skill gap in the technology sector by offering real-world exposure to students and helping them become industry-ready. Out of the 5,555 students who received training, 2,885 participated in the hackathon initiative, making it a highly engaging program. The hackathon was conducted in a three-level hybrid format--beginning with online assessments and culminating in offline finals across Chennai, Thanjavur, and Kanyakumari.

CEO & Founder of GUVI, Arun Prakash, said, 'At GUVI, we believe learning should be accessible, hands-on, and relevant to the times we live in. Through this partnership, we were able to train and inspire thousands of young minds to move beyond passive learning and start building real-world solutions. We are grateful to the Government of Tamil Nadu for entrusting us with this mission. Together, we are building a pipeline of tech talent that's ready to lead and not just follow in the digital economy.'

As an empaneled training partner under Naan Mudhalvan, GUVI was entrusted with designing and executing the hackathon to identify and nurture top tech talent. This builds on GUVI's earlier success with the Naan Mudhalvan-Anna University Tamil Nadu Coders Premier League (NM-AU-TNcpl), which trained 82,500+ students in coding and IT skills, promoting a culture of innovation and problem-solving.

Speaking about the partnership, Dr. M. Jayaprakasan, CEO, Naan Mudhalvan Initiative, TNSDC said ' The Naan Mudhalvan scheme is designed to equip students with globally competitive skills. Our collaboration with GUVI ensures students don't just learn theory--they apply it in real time. This is the essence of our Honourable Chief Minister's vision, where youth are not just job-ready, but future-ready.

The GUVI Hackathon 2025 unfolded across three levels:

Level 1: Online MCQ Assessment (60 minutes, 50 questions): 2,885 students participated; top 564 advanced.

Level 2: Advanced Online Test (60 minutes, 30 questions): 564 students competed; top 153 selected.

Level 3: Offline Hackathon held across three cities, where the 153 finalists worked on real-world projects and presented their solutions. The top 33 performers were declared winners.

Dr. Kalai Selvan Tirucami, Former Additional Director, CUIC Anna University and Advisor Naan Mudhalvan adds 'Today's fresher hiring has evolved--hackathons now play as much a role as campus placements. This initiative helps students showcase applied skills, making them visible to top recruiters and multinational companies.'

To prepare for the hackathon, participants underwent 45 hours of expert-led training delivered over 12 sessions. The training emphasized technical skills, creativity, and problem-solving--all essential for real-world innovation.

The finale events were graced by dignitaries, industry experts, media representatives, and senior leadership from GUVI and TNSDC.

'We don't just teach technology. We enable transformation. This hackathon gave students a platform to take bold steps into the world of innovation. We're proud to play a role in shaping the next generation of changemakers,' said Balamurugan, Co-founder, GUVI

The 153 participants were felicitated with Certificates of Achievement, College Bags, exciting tech gifts, and special recognition from GUVI for their outstanding performance and creativity. Few notable Offers listed below,

* GUVI's ZenAIML Student Program: Five top individual performers received free access to GUVI's flagship Zenlite program, worth Rs. 25999/- , a 6-month, industry-ready course covering Python, ML, Deep Learning, NLP, and Computer Vision.

* Internship Offers: The top 10 performers were awarded 3-month work-from-home internships, gaining practical experience in Data Science and AI technical support roles.

* Premium Activation Courses: All 153 hackathon finalists were granted complimentary access to GUVI's Premium Self-Paced Courses worth Rs.10000/-, unlocking over 750 expert-led courses across domains like Full Stack Development, AI/ML, and Cybersecurity.

About Guvi:

GUVI (GUVI Geek Network Pvt. Ltd.), an IIT-Madras incubated EdTech company, has been at the forefront of vernacular upskilling since its inception in 2014. Founded by Arun Prakash, GUVI began as a YouTube channel delivering tech tutorials in regional languages and has since grown into a trusted platform empowering over 3.5 million learners globally. Offering industry-relevant tech courses, career programs, and AI-powered learning tools in 19+ regional languages, GUVI bridges the digital skills gap for diverse learners across India and beyond.

Over the last decade, GUVI has earned numerous accolades--from setting a Guinness World Record with the AI-for-India initiative to being recognized as South Asia's top EdTech by HolonIQ and Zee Digital. With strategic partnerships including Google for Education, UiPath, TNSDC, and APSSDC, GUVI continues to redefine inclusive education and future-ready tech training.

GUVI's mission is to make high-quality tech education accessible and affordable to all, transcending language and socio-economic barriers. In 2022, GUVI was acquired by HCL, further strengthening its capabilities and reach.

To learn more, visit: www.guvi.in

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