Students, researchers, and engineers from seven countries developed AI solutions to improve road safety and reduce road accidents.
The Centre of Excellence for Road Safety (CoERS) at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has organized its first international hackathon focused on road safety.
The event included a special BIMSTEC category, bringing together students, engineers, researchers, and innovators from India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand to develop AI-based road safety solutions.
The hackathon aimed to become one of the largest road safety innovation events for the Global South by encouraging collaboration between governments, universities, and regional organizations to address road safety challenges using artificial intelligence.
Supported by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), the BIMSTEC AI Road Safety Hackathon 2026 was held at the IIT Madras campus on July 16, 2026, under the theme “AI in Road Safety.” The date also marked AI Appreciation Day. The initiative was first announced at the India AI Impact Summit held in New Delhi in February 2026.
The BIMSTEC region has a population of around 1.8 billion people and reports nearly 200,000 road deaths every year, creating a need for technology-based solutions to improve road safety.
According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the best applications developed during the hackathon, along with other promising entries, could receive mentoring through CoERS to help improve and expand their use.
Prof. V. Kamakoti added, “The AI Road Safety Hackathon, bringing together young minds from across the seven BIMSTEC nations, represents the kind of collaborative spirit IIT Madras stands for. We are happy to provide a platform where students and researchers can apply their skills in artificial intelligence and technology toward saving lives on our roads. We look forward to continuing this partnership with our neighbouring nations in the years ahead.”
Elaborating on the event outcomes, Prof. Venkatesh Balasubramanian, Head, CoERS, IIT Madras said, “Road safety cannot be solved by any one intervention alone and it requires a systems approach, where infrastructure, technology, behaviour, and policy work together. At CoERS, our DDHI programs have shown the value of this approach, helping us reach down to the district level across India and build road safety solutions rooted in local realities.”
