On the 2nd March 2020, Microsoft released a report informing that Team Blume who was representing India in the Microsoft Imagine Cup Asia Region made it to the finals along with 9 other teams and were awarded runner-up position. Team Blume, along with other runner-up teams – Team Zest from Singapore, and Team Tulibot from Indonesia – will be awarded $ 2,500 (over Rs. 1,83,000) each for their projects.
Team Blume, from India, developed an Android application which allows the patients to scan RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag on prescription medication which will “ensure its authenticity and allergen-compatibility with the patient”.
The Team Blume members comprised of people from the Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bengaluru, and Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore who met each other through their mutual college connections. Apart from competing in this competition, the team has also participated in hackathons and worked on common projects. Microsoft said, the team members “have complementary skills which make them a well-rounded team”.
Team Blume comprise of V R Karthik, an Android Developer who has an aptitude for blockchain development; Hemant H Kumar, Electronics enthusiast who is passionate for UI/UX Design, Marketing, and Video Making; and Hemant Joshi, a Backend Programmer with expertise in blockchain development and website.
Microsoft’s General Manager of Audience Evangelism, Jennifer Ritzinger said, “Microsoft’s Imagine Cup competition not only challenges students to utilize technology creatively to make a difference in the world, but also provides the opportunity to connect, engage, and learn from a community of like-minded young innovators. We’re glad to see student teams from across Asia showcase their unique solutions that have the potential to create lasting impact. We hope that through this competition, students are inspired to pursue their passion to develop, ideate, and solve global problems through the power of technology,”.
The competition, Microsoft Imagine Cup, has been designed in a way where students are to use their imagination and passion for technology in order to come up with unprecedented and innovative solutions that can tackle some of the World’s biggest health, social, and environmental challenges.
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For the first time in the history of this annual competition, this year’s Finale of Imagine Cup Asia was held via Microsoft Teams and saw 10 teams from 7 countries presented their inventions virtually to secure a place for the World Championship that will be held in May this year.
The 10 teams making to the finals from Asia Region were from China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, and Singapore. These 10 teams were selected after they competed in various rounds of the competition either through online or in-person National Final events which were organised in countries across Asia region by Microsoft subsidiaries.
The online judging panel of this competition included executives from Microsoft and also industry leaders who not only evaluated the teams on innovation but also on the comprehensiveness and marketability of the solution presented by the teams.
The panel of the judges comprised of:
1. Andrea Della Mattea

2. Craig Dixon

3. Jennifer Ritzinger

4. Leanne Robers

5. Vanessa Ching

This competition is being held every year since it started in the year 2003 and is the “world’s premier student technology competition” which is known as the “Olympics of student technology competitions”. Thie year’s Imagine Cup competition encouraged the participants to “Dream it. Build it. Live it” motivating them to develop applications which will make huge difference(s) on the life of a person of how he lives, works, and play through their knowledge, creativity, and passion of technology.