Ahmedabad : The prestigious Dewang Mehta IT Awards 2025 and Maverick Effect AI Challenge 2025 were recently held at the AUDA Auditorium in Ahmedabad. The event is organized every year to honour the legacy of the late Dewang Mehta, a visionary leader who played a pioneering role in shaping India’s IT landscape. This year’s awards were jointly organized by the Dewang Mehta Foundation Trust (DMFT), National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), and Gujarat Technological University (GTU). Marking Dewang Mehta’s birth anniversary, the event celebrates his legacy and aims to inspire the next generation of IT leaders in India. The event also featured the Dewang Mehta Memorial Lecture 2025, delivered by the keynote speaker Dr. Anand Deshpande. Supported by the Department of Science & Technology, Government of Gujarat, and Gujarat Informatics Limited (a Government of Gujarat undertaking), the initiative seeks to build a strong talent pool of engineers in Gujarat, provide a platform for meritorious students to showcase their skills to the industry, assess the skill gap, and support promising talent across the state. Now in its 13th edition, the Dewang Mehta IT Awards continue to serve as a unique platform to recognize and reward emerging young talent in Gujarat’s IT sector. This year’s edition witnessed remarkable participation. Mr. Harish Mehta, Managing Trustee of the Dewang Mehta Foundation Trust & Founder of Onward Technologies Ltd., Co-founder of NASSCOM, and author of The Maverick Effect shared that this platform is dedicated to identifying and nurturing exceptional talent in the IT field. The event was graced by Mr. Pranav Pandya, Co-founder and Chairman of Dev Information Technology Ltd. (DEV IT), Immediate Past Chairman & Honorary Director of GESIA IT Association (Gujarat Electronics and Software Industries Association). It is noteworthy that Mrs. Kailashben Thakkar serves as the Managing Trustee of the Dewang Mehta Foundation Trust, and Mr. Jaimin Shah is also a Trustee of the Foundation.
The event was graced by esteemed dignitaries, including Dr. Anand Deshpande (Founder, Chairman & MD – Persistent Systems) as the Chief Guest; Dr. Rajul Gajjar (Vice Chancellor, Gujarat Technological University) as the Guest of Honour; and Mr. Mitul Patel (CEO, Wadhwani Foundation) as the Special Guest. Approximately 1,000 top-performing students from both GTU and non-GTU IT engineering colleges were felicitated on stage during the ceremony.
The 13th edition of the Dewang Mehta IT Awards received an overwhelming response, with 225 project entries submitted by 41 colleges and universities across Gujarat. Students from major cities including Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Gandhinagar, Anand, and Surendranagar enthusiastically participated by submitting their innovative entries. Out of these, 14 projects were shortlisted by the jury for final evaluation. The selected teams were invited to Ahmedabad to present their projects in person. Following the presentations, the jury announced the winners of the Dewang Mehta IT Awards 2025.
The first winning project, titled “The High Voltage Detecting Helmet with Audio & LED Illumination,” was developed by a team from Vishwakarma Government Engineering College, Chandkheda. The student team included Chauhan Tirth Prakashbhai, Prajapati Zeel Dilipbhai, Gandhi Yatishkumar Bhavinkumar, and Chauhan Rishi Bharatbhai. They were guided by Dr. Dhanshyamkumar S. Sah and Prof. Jayesh N. Diwan. The second project, “Urja: Unified Recharging Junction for Automotive EVs Based on a WPT System,” came from Birla Vishvakarma Mahavidyalaya. This innovative solo project was presented by Marathe Dhruv Vijay, under the mentorship of Dr. Darshan Dalwadi and Ms. Avantika Gupta. The third award-winning project, titled “AI Powered Drone for Precision Crop Monitoring (Garuda Drone),” was developed by students from L. D. College of Engineering. The team comprised Paridhi Karmakar, Tanay Chaturvedi, and Sharma Nandini Narendra, mentored by Dr. Mihir Vasavada.
Alongside the Dewang Mehta IT Awards 2025, the Dewang Mehta Foundation and GTU, in collaboration with Mr. Harish Mehta, also organized the Maverick Effect AI Challenge 2025. Inspired by The Maverick Effect, the best-selling book authored by Mr. Harish Mehta, the AI Challenge aims to encourage students to harness the power of artificial intelligence to solve real-world problems. It promotes innovation, leadership, and collaboration among the next generation of tech talent. Over 80 teams participated in the challenge, and 22 projects were shortlisted by the jury for the final round. All 22 teams were invited to Ahmedabad for the final presentations.
Winners of the Maverick Effect AI Challenge 2025 The winning team was from Nirma University, and their project focused on AI for Sustainable Urban & Rural Infrastructure. The team comprised Bhavya Vasavada, Aryan Dawra, Aarush Shrotriya, Reyan Shah, and Abhinav Dixit. Their solution showcased how AI can be harnessed to enhance infrastructure planning and development in both urban and rural settings. The 1st Runner-Up position was awarded to a team from New LJ Institute of Engineering and Technology for their project on AI for Digital Literacy & Skill Development. This team included Yadav Kuldeepsingh Mahesh, Mehta Vatsal Kishorkumar, Popat Tirth Hirenbhai, and Kalal Vedant Jagdishbhai. Their solution aimed at using AI to bridge the digital skills gap and promote inclusive learning. The 2nd Runner-Up position went to a team from Chhotubhai Gopalbhai Patel Institute of Technology for their work on AI for Social Causes & Ethical Innovation. The team consisted of Sinojiya Shani Vajubhai, Meet Sapariya, Pal Patel, and Tisha Patel, who presented an AI-based approach to addressing ethical and social challenges in society. The winning team was awarded a cash prize of Rs. 1,00,000, the first runner-up received Rs. 90,000, and the second runner-up was awarded Rs. 80,000.
The winners of the Dewang Mehta Foundation Trust IT Awards were selected based on a comprehensive evaluation across multiple dimensions of their projects. Key criteria included originality, innovative approach, potential for sustainable social impact, feasibility of implementation, measurability, and effectiveness in presentation and communication skills. For the Maverick Effect AI Challenge, students were given five real-world problem statements. They were required to choose one and develop an AI-based solution. The jury evaluated the entries based on the following parameters: relevance to the problem statement, innovation and technical creativity, technological accuracy, quality of implementation, measurability and impact, and overall presentation.
The jury evaluated the projects based on key parameters such as relevance, novelty and creativity of the problem statement, technical accuracy, quality of implementation, scalability and impact, and overall presentation. Participants of the Dewang Mehta IT Awards gain access to industry mentors, exposure to the broader IT ecosystem, and recognition on a prestigious platform. The event honours the legacy of Dewang Mehta, a pivotal figure in India’s IT growth story, and continues to inspire students to build impactful careers. Winners of the Maverick Effect AI Challenge will receive mentorship from industry experts, the opportunity to attend a nationally recognized IT conference, awards and trophies, certificates of participation, and a special letter from the GTU Innovation Council supporting incubation and entrepreneurial assistance.
