As Artificial Intelligence reshapes how businesses operate and how software is built, what employers expect from young engineers is changing quickly. Escape Velocity was designed around the skills that matter in that environment: understanding a problem clearly, knowing when and how to apply Artificial Intelligence, making sound technology choices, building for scale and responsible use, and communicating an idea effectively.
Participants moved through multiple evaluation rounds. From approximately 450 registrations, 100 students were shortlisted, and 30 advanced to Round 2. The process ended with 10 finalists presenting their solutions to Velloe’s leadership jury. Many of these solutions used Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to automate workflows, generate insights from data, and improve decision-making.
The final jury included Arvind Sharma, Chief Executive Officer; Sumit Kumar, Chief Technology & Innovation Officer; and Abhinav Vashishtha, Senior Director at Velloe.
Projects were assessed on technical approach, problem definition, effective and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence, feasibility, scalability, business relevance and presentation. The final session also gave participants direct feedback from senior technology leaders on both their ideas and their approach to solving the problem.
“What we wanted to understand through Escape Velocity was not simply who could build the most impressive solution,” said Arvind Sharma, CEO, Velloe. “We wanted to see how students approached an unfamiliar problem, the questions they asked, and how they turned an idea into something practical. In a world increasingly shaped by Artificial Intelligence, that judgement matters as much as the technology itself, and it is much closer to what they will experience in the industry.”
After the jury’s deliberation, the top three were announced:
- Winner: Amit Kumar Gupta
- First Runner-Up: Mahi Singhal
- Second Runner-Up: Devansh Mallik
All three winners received cash prizes of ₹11,000 each, and all 10 finalists were offered internships with Velloe.
For Velloe, extending internships to every finalist was a natural continuation of the event, not an add-on to a standalone competition. It gives students who performed strongly the chance to work on live projects, including Artificial Intelligence and cloud initiatives, alongside experienced technology teams in a professional environment.
“The quality of thinking was what stood out,” said Sumit Kumar, CTIO, Velloe. “The strongest participants didn’t treat Artificial Intelligence as a buzzword. They used it deliberately, looking beyond the immediate task to think about architecture, usability and how their solution could work at scale. Those are the capabilities we want young engineers to develop early in their careers.”
“Escape Velocity showed us how much potential is already in our campuses when students are given real problems and real accountability,” said Abhinav Vashishtha, Senior Director, Velloe. “We look forward to working with these ten interns and to making this platform bigger with every edition.”
Escape Velocity is part of Velloe’s broader effort to strengthen links between academia and industry and to create practical entry points for emerging talent in Artificial Intelligence, cloud and digital engineering.
Following the response to the first edition, Velloe plans to make Escape Velocity a recurring initiative. Future editions will reach more campuses and introduce students to a wider range of Artificial Intelligence, technology and business challenges.
About Velloe
Velloe, an EVOCS company, brings technology, engineering and consulting capabilities together to help organisations solve complex business and infrastructure challenges. Based in India, the company is building teams across Artificial Intelligence, cloud, data and digital engineering while creating opportunities for the next generation of technology professionals.
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