For the second consecutive year, the ‘Data Science Student Championship’,  proved to be a remarkable collaboration between MachineHack and Praxis Business School. With the spotlight fixed firmly on predicting the ‘total_fare’ for taxi rides, this year’s challenge sparked intense competition among the nearly 1000 aspiring data enthusiasts.

From May 19 to June 11, the data-driven battle witnessed a showdown of innovative minds seeking their niche in data science. Participants showed off their analytical skills, captivated the jury, and put forth an array of solutions that elevated the competition to unprecedented heights. The top three winners of the championship received cash awards and the prestigious title of ‘Data Science Student Champion 2023’.

The final round was judged by an esteemed panel. The four jury members included Biswajit Biswas, Chief Data Scientist at Tata Elxsi, Angshuman Ghosh, Vice President of Data & Analytics at Sayurbox, Sandeep Sudarshan, Product Development Leader at Global AI Accelerator(GAIA) Ericsson and Sridhar Srinivasan, Business Analytics Practice Leader, Praxis. 

Notably, during the display of data brilliance in front of the jury, India’s top 10 participants assembled from all corners of the nation for the grand finale. The highly-anticipated finale unfolded on July 5th, 2023, at Bangalore’s luxurious Hotel Davanam Sarovar Portico Suites. They presented ingenious solutions, leaving a mark on the intellectual landscape. The event was an unforgettable scene of innovation, celebrating the nation’s brightest minds in data science.

Speaking exclusively with AIM, the winners shared their secrets to success, unveiling the strategies that set them apart from other contenders.

Rank 01

Tadikamalla Chetana Tanmayee, a data science student at IIT Madras, with a profound interest in exploring advancements in deep learning, computer vision, and NLP secured the 1st rank at the championship.

“Although my participation on the MachineHack platform was limited to just two competitions, the experience was truly rewarding. The platform provided an excellent opportunity for me to apply my Machine Learning skills in a competitive setting. The problem statements were engaging, and the datasets well-curated, allowing me to delve into real-world scenarios,” said Chetana, who actively participates in hackathons. 

“Through these competitions, I was able to challenge myself, explore innovative approaches, and sharpen my problem-solving abilities. It was inspiring to witness the diverse solutions and strategies adopted by other participants, which broadened my perspective on different approaches to solving machine learning problems,” she added.  

In her presentation, Chetana covered preprocessing techniques for handling outliers, feature engineering, hyperparameter tuning, and the selection of a deployment-ready model.

“The experience [on the MachineHack platform] was a valuable stepping stone in my journey as a data scientist. It further ignited my passion for machine learning and reinforced my determination to continue expanding my skills and knowledge in this field,” she added.

Rank 02

The second rank was bagged by Atharva Mashalkar, a final-year student at IIT Madras, pursuing a dual degree program in civil engineering and data science. With a strong background in data analysis from internships and a passion for participating in hackathons, Mashalkar has developed a deep interest in emerging advancements in deep learning, computer vision, and natural language processing (NLP).

“Despite my relatively short participation on the MachineHack platform, the impact it had on my growth as a data scientist was truly remarkable. Engaging in just two competitions allowed me to experience the thrill of applying my machine learning skills in a competitive environment. The carefully curated datasets and captivating problem statements provided a realistic glimpse into real-world scenarios, enabling me to tackle complex challenges head-on,” he said. 

He further added, “These competitions pushed the boundaries of my knowledge and compelled me to explore novel approaches and techniques. It was truly eye-opening to witness the diverse array of solutions and strategies employed by fellow participants, expanding my understanding of the multifaceted nature of machine learning problem-solving.”

Mashalkar is excited about embarking on new endeavors, building upon the foundation laid during his time on MachineHack, and seeking opportunities to further refine his expertise in machine learning.

In his presentation, he delved into the essential techniques of preprocessing, specifically focusing on outlier handling. That’s not all, he emphasized the significance of feature engineering, discussed the importance of hyperparameter tuning, and explored various models commonly employed in the field. Ultimately, he concluded by recommending the most suitable model for deployment, considering its efficacy and practical applications in real-world scenarios.

Rank 03

The third rank holder, Varun Sampath Kumar, is a fourth-year Integrated MSc in Data Science student at PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore. 

Kumar has been exploring data science for some time now and is currently toying with federated learning trying to address some of its challenges. He also started with basic data preprocessing and experimented with various boosting models. “Continuous data exploration was the key to the performance of my submission,” he said. 

“Participating in the hackathon contest on the MachineHack platform has been an incredibly rewarding and enriching experience. It provided me with a unique opportunity to showcase my skills, collaborate with fellow data enthusiasts, and tackle real-world problems using data-driven approaches,” he further added. 

Kumar admits that throughout the contest, he was immersed in a practical learning environment, where he could apply his knowledge and skills to diverse datasets and problem statements. “It allowed me to explore new domains, experiment with various modelling techniques, and gain valuable insights into the intricacies of data science,” he concluded. 

So, all you innovative minds awaiting the next chapter of data brilliance in the ever-evolving domain of data science, do keep an eye out for upcoming hackathons and data competitions on MachineHack. 

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