Melbourne, Australia: Next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for smarter, safer and more resilient cities have been showcased at the La Trobe x Cisco AI City Modernisation Innovation Sprint, strengthening the growing innovation partnership between India and Australia.
Spearheaded by La Trobe University in collaboration with CISCO and the Australian High Commission in India, the two-day Innovation Sprint in New Delhi brought together 50 high-performing students from 10 leading universities across the country to tackle real-world urban challenges through AI alongside industry leaders, and academic experts.
O.P Jindal Global University emerged as the winners of the innovation sprint. K.J. Somaya School of Engineering emerged as the winners of the people’s choice awards.
Working in multidisciplinary teams, participants developed practical, data-driven concepts addressing some of India’s most pressing urban priorities — including disaster management, mobility, public safety, crowd management, and urban services using emerging technologies such as machine learning, spatial analytics and predictive modelling.
Students refined their ideas through design-thinking workshops, expert mentoring and rapid prototyping before presenting their solutions to an expert judging panel comprising representatives from academia, and industry.
The initiative reflects the shared commitment of Australia and India to strengthening collaboration in innovation, technology, entrepreneurship and higher education, while developing the future-ready talent needed to support India’s rapidly evolving digital economy and urban transformation.
Dr Cerasela Tanasescu, Director, Entrepreneurship, La Trobe University, said the Innovation Sprint highlighted the value of international collaboration in addressing complex urban challenges while equipping students with industry-relevant skills.
“India is among the world’s most dynamic innovation ecosystems”, Dr Tenasescu said.
“By connecting students with industry through initiatives such as this Innovation Sprint, we are strengthening Australia–India collaboration and empowering the next generation of innovators to create practical AI solutions for real-world urban challenges.”
Cisco spokesperson said: “The future of city modernization will be powered by AI-ready digital infrastructure, secure AI networking, and strong collaboration between government, academia, and industry. With over three decades of experience helping cities become more connected, resilient, and sustainable, Cisco is enabling the next generation of urban innovation through AI-native networking, Unified Edge, intelligent operations, digital twins, and Zero Trust security. As cities embrace AI, the combination of real-time data, AI-powered insights, and Agentic AI will transform how public services are delivered from mobility and public safety to utilities and citizen services. The ideas developed during this Innovation Sprint demonstrate how AI can solve real-world urban challenges while preparing future-ready talent. Cisco is proud to support initiatives that accelerate AI adoption, strengthen digital capabilities, and build smarter, safer, and more sustainable cities for the future.”
Vik Singh, Trade and Investment Commissioner, Australian Trade and Investment Commission, in South Asia said: “Innovation, education and technology are at the heart of the Australia–India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Building on the momentum of Prime Minister Modi’s recent visit to Australia, initiatives such as the AI City Modernisation Innovation Sprint highlights the value of collaboration between academia, industry and government, while empowering young innovators to tackle real-world challenges. We are proud to support initiatives that strengthen people-to-people connections and advance our shared vision for a more innovative and sustainable future.”
The Innovation Sprint equipped participants with industry-ready capabilities in interdisciplinary collaboration, entrepreneurial thinking, human-centred design, rapid prototyping and strategic problem-solving — skills increasingly sought by employers as AI transforms industries worldwide.
The event forms part of La Trobe University’s broader commitment to strengthening education, research and innovation partnerships with India by connecting students with global expertise, industry leaders and real-world challenges.
As India accelerates investment in AI, digital public infrastructure and urban innovation, initiatives such as the La Trobe x Cisco AI City Modernisation Innovation Sprint demonstrate how international collaboration can help develop both the talent and the technologies that will shape the future of smarter, more resilient cities.
