HYDERABAD: Creative ideas can work wonders and sometimes make a difference to people. Keeping this in mind, the Telangana Finance Commission conducted a citizen engagement programme between August 15 to September 30 called Ideathon 2024.
This initiative, which invited innovative ideas that would help generate revenue for local bodies, received over 1,100 applications. CE speaks to the three winning teams about their experiences.
Gorav Kumar Sharma and K Saatvik Sai, third-year engineering students from CMR College of Engineering and Technology, snagged first place. “The initial idea was to create a donation portal, where the donor would get a token for their donation. This token could then be used in rythu bazaar. The government liked the idea and is helping us make the app,” explains Gourav, adding that Saatvik and he are happy with the output.
He says, “It is like a dream come true for us. Thinking that our idea will be an app someday is really inspiring. We did make mistakes while presenting our idea but were received well. We look forward to being a part of such initiatives and coming up with new ideas.”
Second place went to P Raviteja, who is pursuing his B Com (Computers), and PK Esha Nair, who is pursuing a BBA from Bhavan’s Degree College.
“We are startup enthusiasts and wanted to create a platform which focuses on employment generation in rural areas. We wanted to be Naukri.com and Urban Company for the rural areas,” expresses Esha, adding that upon research, Raviteja and she found people with business setups but did not know how to go ahead.
“So, our initial aim was to provide them with a platform, where if they want jobs, they could register with us. The support we received after presenting this idea was amazing. We look forward to working with them,” says Esha.
Sandeep Raydu, senior analyst at Accenture, came third. “My idea is to make Telangana sustainable by installing rooftop solar plants in multi-storeyed buildings. I want people to go from using non-renewable energy to renewable energy,” he shares, adding that to present a prototype to the government, he consulted case studies, connected with people, and researched costs.
He further adds, “The Telangana Finance Commission team was very down-to-earth. I never felt like I was working with the government. As someone passionate about the environment, I would be happy to see this idea come to life.”
It is noteworthy to mention Nishanth Saka, engineering manager, and Deepthi Battini, product owner, who have been working towards building a portal for the ideas at Ideathon 2024.
“While we have done a demo of the portal, the actual portal is yet to be built.
Many ideas from citizens were related to employment generation and citizen donations,” informs Deepthi, crediting IAS officer Smita Sabharwal for her clarity on macro and micro aspects.
“She asked us how everything could be integrated in one portal, which would then be hosted by the State Finance Corporation. So, our role was to tell the government how we would club things to create a hub for community service. For this purpose, we interacted with the people who pitched ideas. We have come up with the design and it was indeed a great experience working with the government.”
A strong emphasis on innovation is a firm step towards a better future for not just the state of Telangana but the generations that will come after us.
