Brains, Bytes, and Breakthroughs: Oracle APEX Steals the Show at Xcelerate 2025

Image Source: The Hindu

The Xcelerate 2025 Hackathon, hosted by the India Oracle APEX User Group in collaboration with Oracle, showcased the transformative power of Oracle APEX in student-led innovation. Held at the Holiday Inn on Chennai’s OMR IT Expressway, the event drew nationwide attention for its focus on real-world problem solving through low-code development.

Key highlights from the event

- The hackathon attracted 115 student teams from across India, with 13 finalists selected to present their applications on September 13
- Participants tackled three themes: solving social issues in India, building tools for educational institutions, and developing software products using Oracle APEX
- M.H. Saboo Siddik College of Engineering, Mumbai, won the top prize of ₹1,00,000 for their impactful APEX-based solution
- Government College of Engineering and Textile Technology, Serampore, West Bengal, secured second place with ₹50,000, while St. Joseph’s College of Engineering, Chennai, earned ₹25,000 for third place
- The event featured keynotes from Oracle Product Managers Roopesh Thokala and Shailu Srivastava, who shared insights into APEX’s future roadmap
- INOAUG President Richard Dalvi opened the ceremony, and Oracle Academy’s Anuradha Sharma emphasized Oracle’s commitment to education
- The hackathon celebrated creativity, technical excellence, and the potential of low-code platforms to democratize software development

The ceremony concluded with a vote of thanks from INOAUG Secretary Natarajan, applauding the students’ ingenuity and the APEX platform’s role in bringing their ideas to life.

Sources: The Hindu, The Hindu BusinessLine, inoaug.org