Team Yibe Network from MIT ADT University, will represent India at the global workshop of Red Bull Basement 2020
NTT Ltd and Red Bull Basement, a global platform for student innovators from around the world, announced that Team Yibe Network from MIT ADT University, Pune, consisting of Suraj Suryavanshi and Shweta Morale, were selected as India winners at the global workshop for Red Bull Basement 2020. Team Yibe Network will now represent the country at the Global Workshop where worldwide, more than 3800 student teams from all areas of study applied for the 2020 program by submitting a video explaining their idea.
Realizing the potential of scale and inclusion, NTT facilitated live virtual workshops to empower teams of university students from host countries to innovate for good. This year has seen a more diverse set of entrants given that location-specific barriers were mitigated through the virtualization of the event. As a result, the contest received 403 entries across India, 60% higher than 2019, where the final winner was chosen based on the judging between NTT and other partners of Red Bull.
Kaustubh Chandra, Director – Marketing & Digital Sales Group, NTT Ltd. in India commented: “I congratulate team Yibe Network for their resounding success and wish them the best in representing India at a global stage for such a prestigious and conscientious project. Sustainable innovation is central to creating a future that is good for business and the environment. Each year NTT invests USD 3.6 billion in projects related to innovation and this collaboration supports our commitment to achieving the targets of the Global Goals by 2030 and being a ‘Business Avenger’ for Goal 11, Sustainable Cities and Communities. Our commitment towards creating sustainable business environments is evident through these partnerships and we also aim to inspire young entrepreneurs who are passionate about leveraging tech to make the world a better place”.
The team’s idea, called Yibe Network, is a productive networking application that can help students connect with like-minded individuals or groups across campus. The app will have features like Events, where students can find latest information on college festivals, workshops and other events they can be part of; Growth+, where students can learn skills from others and sign up for internship and other work opportunities; Money Matters, where they can keep track of their borrowing and lending with regular reminders; social networking, and much more. Currently in its final development stage, the team plans to roll out beta testing for the app soon.
“Yibe is a centralised college ecosystem where students can network with like-minded individuals, even from different colleges. Upon verification, students can use multiple features of Yibe Network. Students can find events within their interests, use Growth+ to improve their skills, find students who share similar interests to participate in an activity, or learn a new skill. They can also find activities around them to enjoy their time with friends or find new people to enjoy with,” says the team.
Until December 9, the finalist teams will refine their ideas in a Development phase, with access to resources including a workspace, mentorship programs and a global network of innovators. Besides the young innovators and student entrepreneurs from 36 countries, two wildcard teams are also participating from HONOR and NTT, the Global Partners of Red Bull Basement.
