Gandhinagar, Oct 13 (IANS) Gujarat Police is looking to use artificial intelligence (AI) and software integration to reduce the time officers spend on routine tasks and improve policing, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi said at the conclusion of the ‘Gujarat Police Innovation Challenge 2026’ in Ahmedabad.
Addressing the closing ceremony of the two-day Sentinel Hackathon 2026 at i-Hub, Sanghavi said the initiative is not limited to crime detection or the creation of technology infrastructure but also aimed to save the working hours, or ‘human hours’, of thousands of police constables and officers, allowing them to improve their social lives and spend more time with their families.
More than 3,100 registrations and over 1,000 innovative solutions were received for the challenge, which brought together innovators, start-ups, technology companies and researchers from across the country to develop solutions for public safety using AI and CCTV integration.
“This innovation challenge is not merely about creating IT or technology infrastructure or detecting crime. It is also a deeply human approach aimed at saving the working hours of thousands of Gujarat Police constables and officers through AI and modern software integration,” Sanghavi said.
He said the effective use of software and AI could help ensure smart policing, adding that young innovators and start-ups developing CCTV integration and AI-based solutions could find business opportunities in Gujarat and other states.
“The police department is committed to supporting innovators from concept development to execution and facilitating access to real-time data,” he said.
During the hackathon, participants demonstrated solutions using live CCTV feeds, including real-time automatic number plate recognition, vehicle tracking and watchlist matching.
The competition’s Phase 1 concluded with winning teams across three categories and recipients of incentive prizes being awarded a total of Rs 18 lakh.
The total prize money available across Phases 1 and 2 is Rs 51 lakh.
Director General of Police (DGP) G.S. Malik said integrating the state’s CCTV network with AI and video analytics could help prevent crimes, identify suspicious individuals promptly and generate real-time alerts.
“The solutions developed through the hackathon could strengthen proactive policing,” he added.
Sanjiv Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister and Principal Secretary of the Home Department, said the initiative sought to bring CCTV cameras installed by different state departments onto a single platform, allowing better use of available data and more effective outcomes.
He described the hackathon as an “important step” towards technology-driven policing and said it had provided a platform for innovators and start-ups to develop solutions for a smart and future-ready security system.
Mukesh Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary of the Higher and Technical Education Department, said the state government was encouraging young innovators, students and start-ups through the Seva First Innovation Challenge and i-Hub.
“AI, data analytics and digital technology are bringing changes to police operations in areas including public safety, crime prevention, detection and traffic management. i-Hub has provided guidance, legal assistance and financial support to more than 700 start-ups,” he said.
The event also saw the launch of ‘Prati Raksha’, described by the organisers as the country’s first UIDAI-recognised consent-based digital identity verification system, and ‘Pathik 2.0’, developed by the Ahmedabad City Crime Branch.
The systems will use real-time QR codes and facial verification to check the identities of employees at hotels, paying guest accommodations, factories and industrial establishments through a paperless process designed to protect privacy.
–IANS
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