GUVI, an EdTech company incubated at IIT-Madras and IIM-Ahmedabad, recently teamed up with the Government of Tamil Nadu in a move aimed at empowering the state’s youth. This collaboration, part of the flagship “Naan Mudhalvan” scheme, succeeded in upskilling 5,555 students across the state. The goal? To equip them with skills that stand up on a global stage.
Through the GUVI Hackathon 2025—launched in partnership with the Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation (TNSDC)—the initiative tackled the persistent skill gap in the tech sector. Students received hands-on experience meant to help bridge classroom learning with real-world demands. Of those trained, 2,885 students went on to actively participate in the hackathon.
The competition unfolded in a three-stage hybrid format, kicking off with online assessments and culminating in offline finals held in Chennai, Thanjavur, and Kanyakumari.
Arun Prakash, CEO and Founder of GUVI, underscored the company’s focus on accessible and practical learning. He noted that the partnership with the state government made it possible to reach thousands of young minds, inspiring them to develop real-world solutions. Prakash expressed sincere gratitude to the Government of Tamil Nadu for entrusting GUVI with this mission—together, he said, they’re building a pipeline of tech talent ready to thrive in a digital-first economy.
As an empaneled training partner under “Naan Mudhalvan,” GUVI designed and managed the hackathon to identify and nurture top tech performers. This initiative builds on GUVI’s prior success with the NM-AU-TNcpl (Naan Mudhalvan–Anna University Tamil Nadu Coders Premier League), which trained over 82,500 students in coding and IT skills. That earlier effort also encouraged a culture of innovation and critical problem-solving.
Dr. M. Jayaprakasan, CEO of the Naan Mudhalvan Initiative, echoed these sentiments. He pointed out that the program is all about preparing students with future-proof skills. The collaboration with GUVI, he said, ensures students go beyond theory to put their knowledge into action—perfectly in line with the Chief Minister’s vision.
A Multi-Stage Challenge: The GUVI Hackathon 2025 Structure
The hackathon featured a well-structured three-level format, each stage narrowing the field to spotlight the most promising talents:
Level 1: Online MCQ Assessment The first stage involved a 60-minute online test with 50 multiple-choice questions. Out of 2,885 participants, the top 564 advanced to the next round.
Level 2: Advanced Online Test Here, students took a 60-minute test featuring 30 tougher questions. From these 564 students, only the top 153 made it to the finals.
Level 3: Offline Hackathon Finals Held in three cities, this final stage saw the 153 finalists working on real-world challenges. The top 33 were ultimately recognized for their standout performance.
Dr. Kalai Selvan Tirucami, Former Additional Director of CUIC at Anna University and Advisor to Naan Mudhalvan, noted that the hiring landscape is shifting. Hackathons, he said, now rival campus placements in importance, giving students the stage to demonstrate real, applicable skills to major recruiters and MNCs.
Rigorous Preparation and Notable Outcomes
Ahead of the event, students underwent 45 hours of intensive training led by experts. Spread across 12 sessions, the training focused on technical proficiency, creative thinking, and practical problem-solving—critical elements for real-world success.
Finale events drew a diverse crowd, including government dignitaries, tech industry leaders, media, and senior teams from both GUVI and TNSDC.
Balamurugan, GUVI Co-founder, shared that GUVI is about more than just teaching tech—it’s about sparking transformation. He said he’s proud of the company’s role in shaping future changemakers, and that this hackathon gave students the chance to step into innovation.
Each of the 153 finalists received Certificates of Achievement, college bags, tech gifts, and special recognition from GUVI. But that’s not all—they also got access to a range of career-boosting opportunities:
ZenAIML Student Program Five standout individuals earned free admission to GUVI’s flagship Zenlite program—a 6-month, job-ready course valued at Rs. 25,999. It covers key areas like Python, Machine Learning, NLP, and Computer Vision.
Internship Offers The top 10 performers secured 3-month remote internships, gaining hands-on experience in Data Science and AI support roles.
Premium Activation Courses All 153 finalists received complimentary access to GUVI’s Premium Self-Paced Courses—worth Rs. 10,000—covering more than 750 expert-led programs in Full Stack Development, AI/ML, Cybersecurity, and more.
It has strategic partnerships with giants like Google for Education, UiPath, and multiple state development corporations. Its mission? To make high-quality tech education universally accessible. In 2022, GUVI was acquired by HCL, further boosting its reach and impact.
