Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], December 20: The National Urban Cooperative Finance and Development Corporation Ltd (NUCFDC), the Umbrella Organisation for Urban Cooperative Banks (UCB), in collaboration with IIMA Ventures, has launched Bharat COOPATHON 2025.
The selection-based program will connect high-potential technology innovators with UCBs to enable the deployment of compliant, scalable and indigenous digital solutions. Startups, fintech companies, technologists, product teams and data innovators are invited to submit solutions tailored to the UCB ecosystem.
Bharat COOPATHON 2025 aims to equip UCBs with cost-effective digital solutions to upgrade core banking systems, strengthen risk management and modernise operations. Submissions will be evaluated through a transparent, criteria-driven process based on innovation, security & regulatory compliance, scalability and deployment feasibility.
The initiative seeks to deepen financial inclusion, strengthen governance standards and build long-term resilience across the urban cooperative banking sector. A strong emphasis has been placed on cybersecurity frameworks, with a focus on data sovereignty, customer protection and regulatory compliance. The program also promotes sector-wide standardisation and fosters sustainable partnerships between innovators and banks for both pilot and full-scale implementation.
Speaking about the initiative, Shri Prabhat Chaturvedi, CEO, NUCFDC said, “Urban Cooperative Banks are important institutions for the overall India’s financial inclusion agenda and have long been at the heart of community-based finance. While larger UCBs have made significant progress in digital adoption, many small and mid-sized banks continue to operate with limited technological infrastructure. Bharat COOPATHON 2025 aims to bridge this gap by connecting UCBs with fit-for-purpose technology solutions, enabling faster and more effective digital modernisation.”
Priyanka Chopra, CEO & Managing Partner at IIMA Ventures said, “Urban Cooperative Banks are well positioned for transformation and Bharat COOPATHON 2025 provides a structured pathway for them to adopt modern, scalable technologies. Innovators gain a platform to showcase deployable solutions and meaningfully collaborate with UCBs to achieve measurable real-world impact, especially for the underserved and lower income segments of India.”
The programme will offer winning solutions opportunities to pilot and scale their products across participating UCBs. It will also provide access to seed funding support, in line with the criteria and protocols of IIMA Ventures. Participants will also benefit from interactive workshops, hackathon bootcamps and expert coaching sessions aimed at refining solutions and addressing sector-specific challenges.
Applications for Bharat COOPATHON 2025 are open until 31st December 2025. For further information, visit: https://iimaventures.com/programs/bharat-coopathon-urban-fintech-challenge-2025/.
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