India's Icici Bank is hosting a virtual mobile app challenge, inviting developers to tap a set of over 50 APIs to build tools for the chance to win cash prizes.
Hosted on the IBM Bluemix cloud based platform, the Icici Appathon is open to developers, tech firms, startup and students who will work to build mobile app prototypes using the APIs from the bank, Visa and the National Payments Corporation of India.
Registration for the event is open until 1 March when participants will be announced and given access to the APIs for about three weeks. A jury will then pick finalists for a grand finale at Icici's Mumbai headquarters where three winners will be picked.
The winners will share a prize pool of over Rs 20 lakh (about $20,000), mentorship chances and a "potential engagement opportunity" with the bank.
Chanda Kochhar, MD & CEO, Icici Bank, says: "Through the 'Icici Appathon', we want to broad base and leverage on the innovative ideas and the exceptional talent in our developers, technopreneurs and technology startups. We believe that programmes like these will encourage young developers to create world class banking applications on mobile and will strengthen the Government's 'Digital India' mission."