The Hashgraph Association, the non-profit organization accelerating the broad adoption of the Hedera network globally, has announced its partnership with Information Data Systems (IDS) to act as the headline sponsor for Bharat Blockchain Yatra (BBY). BBY is India’s first-of-its-kind tech tour focused on Web3, backed by the Government of India through institutions such as the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology.
Hedera Hackathons will take place throughout BBY, awarding the top three projects up to $250,000 in funding each to build enterprise-grade, scalable, and utility-driven applications on the Hedera network. The winning team with the most innovative solution will be awarded the opportunity to travel to Switzerland and participate in the 2-week Hashgraph Entrepreneur Program.
Kamal Youssefi, President of The Hashgraph Association, said: “In partnering with IDS and sponsoring Bharat Blockchain Yatra, The Hashgraph Association will further its commitment to empowering developers and businesses to build innovative blockchain/DLT solutions that can benefit society through the use of the Hedera network. The Hashgraph Association wishes to further encourage and develop the significant talent in India by providing future digital pioneers, enthusiasts, and entrepreneurs funding and engineering opportunities for Web3.”
Organised by IDS, a leading Enterprise Blockchain Service Provider and developer of the Bharat Blockchain Network, Bharat Blockchain Yatra will be held across 18 states in India from August 2023 to February 2024. It will include over 25 series of events, comprised of summits, boot camps, hackathons, round table discussions, and business pitches and launchpads. The goal of BBY is to highlight the great potential of blockchain technology in India, a country with over 350 Web3 start-ups and one of the world’s largest Web3 talent pools.
There will be 7,500 participants taking part in the BBY events, including over 100 thought-leaders from the blockchain industry. The Hashgraph Association will use BBY to expand its presence in India prior to opening five Applied Blockchain Centres of Excellence, with a focus on Hedera technology. In doing so, IDS will onboard 50,000 developers on the Hedera India Developer Community (HIDC) portal and publish the thought-leadership publication, Bharat Blockchain Ecosystem Report. It is expected that this initiative will raise significant awareness of Hedera in India, the wider Asia-Pacific region, as well as across the globe.
Sudharshan Reddy Minumula, CEO at IDS, said: “Bharat Blockchain Yatra tech tour is the first of its kind in India. With The Hashgraph Association as a headline sponsor for this event, and powered by Hedera, we hope to further develop India’s remarkable blockchain story and focus on the importance and value of creation. The Hashgraph Association’s $750,000 prize funding and involvement in Hedera Hackathons provide us with the opportunity to do so.”
BBY’s curtain raiser event for the tour will take place on Sunday, 6 August, at the T-Hub in Hyderabad. Spread across an area of around 583,000 sqft, T-Hub is the world’s largest innovator-accelerator by size. More details for the event can be found at: bbyatra.com/thubhyderabad
