AB PM-JAY Hackathon 2026: NHA recognises winners for AI solutions in healthcare claims
Bengaluru- The National Health Authority (NHA), under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), in collaboration with IndiaAI Mission and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, concluded the AB PM-JAY Auto-Adjudication Hackathon Showcase 2026.
The concluding day of the two-day national showcase featured recognition of winning teams across three critical problem statements aimed at strengthening speed, transparency, accuracy and programme integrity in health claims adjudication under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY).
The AB PM-JAY Auto-Adjudication Hackathon saw strong participation from innovators, startups, students, researchers and technology professionals from across the country.
More than 3,500 participants registered for the hackathon, with solutions evaluated by an expert jury comprising representatives from government, academia, healthcare and technology institutions. The top three teams were recognised under each problem statement based on innovation, scalability and applicability within healthcare claims workflows, the PIB stated.
Under the problem statement “Clinical Document Classification and Compliance to Standard Treatment Guidelines (STGs)”, Team Nirnaya, led by Vinay Babu Ulli, was declared the winner for developing an AI-supported solution capable of automatically reading healthcare claim documents and assessing compliance with Standard Treatment Guidelines to support faster and more consistent claims processing.
Team Khushi Singh and Ronit from IIIT Gwalior secured the runner-up position for developing a solution focused on automated processing of healthcare claim documents and verification of required supporting records.
Team Vidal Health, comprising Dr. Mukul Jain, Vijay Balaji, Aayush Derashree, Kartikeya Bhatnagar, Satvik Pathak, and Abhishek Sinha, secured the second runner-up position for its AI-supported healthcare claims validation solution aimed at improving review accuracy and operational applicability.
Under the problem statement “Radiological Image-Based Condition Detection and Report Correlation”, Team BiltIQ AI, led by Harish Kumar, was declared the winner for demonstrating AI-enabled solutions designed to support interpretation of radiological images and correlation of findings within healthcare claims workflows.
Team Kantaka Sodhana, comprising Dr. Manohar Khandavalli, Lakshmi Narayana Cherukuri, Hambica Pedapudi, Bharath Varma Sangaraju, and Anudeep K, secured the runner-up position for developing healthcare AI systems focused on automation, anomaly detection, and operational efficiency in healthcare workflows. Team Arnold Sachith and Dr. Smitha Rao secured the second runner-up position for its work on scalable AI solutions with applications in intelligent healthcare systems and real-world AI deployment.
Under the problem statement “Document Forgery / Deepfake Detection”, Team Sopa Claims, led by Praveen Sridhar and Snehal Joshi, was declared the winner for developing AI-driven solutions aimed at detecting forged medical documents and strengthening programme integrity within healthcare claims systems.
Team Forgensic, Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies, Nuzvid (RGUKT-Nuzvid), led by Nikhileswara Rao Sulake, Sai Manikanta Eswar Machara , and Assistant Professor Shivlal Kethavath secured the runner-up position for their work in computer vision, deep learning, medical imaging, and forensic analysis, with a focus on AI-based solutions for healthcare fraud detection.
Team Sushurutha Health AI, comprising Bala Murali Krishna, Meghana Thota, and Sumanth Naidu Mathireddy, secured the second runner-up position for developing AI/ML-based healthcare insurance and fraud detection solutions.
The winners under each problem statement received cash prizes of ₹5 lakh, ₹3 lakh and ₹2 lakh for the winner, runner-up and second runner-up positions, respectively. Winning teams will also have an opportunity for potential collaboration with the National Health Authority (NHA) for further development and deployment of innovative solutions in healthcare claims management.
The showcase also featured a panel discussion on “Future of Claims Adjudication”, where experts from government, insurers, TPAs, healthcare providers, academia and the technology ecosystem deliberated on the evolving role of Artificial Intelligence, digital public infrastructure and interoperable platforms in strengthening health claims management systems under AB PM-JAY. Discussions focused on AI-assisted adjudication, automation, faster claims processing, transparency, auditability, clinical oversight, provider trust and scalable claims management frameworks for public health insurance systems.
Another panel discussion on “Fraud, Waste and Abuse in the Era of AI — Challenges and Opportunities” focused on emerging risks relating to forged documents, identity misuse, deepfakes and fraudulent claims practices within digital healthcare ecosystems. Participants deliberated on the role of AI-enabled fraud detection systems, governance frameworks, data privacy safeguards, responsible AI deployment and secure digital infrastructure in strengthening programme integrity and reducing leakages in healthcare claims management systems.
The Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) ecosystem currently processes around 50,000 claims daily across more than 1,900 treatment packages. Given the scale and complexity of claims processing, the AB PM-JAY Auto-Adjudication Hackathon was organised to encourage development of AI-enabled solutions capable of reducing manual effort, improving processing timelines, strengthening transparency and supporting faster and more consistent claims adjudication under AB PM-JAY.
Through this initiative, the National Health Authority reaffirms its commitment to leveraging responsible Artificial Intelligence and Digital Public Infrastructure to strengthen healthcare delivery, improve efficiency in claims management and support transparent and technology-driven public health systems under AB PM-JAY.
