Jai Hind College Concludes First Day Of Voyage’25 With TravAI Shark Tank Challenge

Mumbai: Jai Hind College’s Department of B.Voc Travel and Tourism Management marked its 10th anniversary this week with the launch of its annual festival, Voyage’25. The three-day celebration opened on September 17 with a flagship event titled TravAI 2025: Transforming Travel with AI, where students presented technology-driven ideas designed to reshape the tourism sector.

The fest, held under the patronage of Principal Dr. Vijay Dabholkar and convened by Vice Principal, Head of Department Dr. Archana Mishra along with faculty member Ms. Khushi Burad, has positioned itself as a platform to bridge academics with industry innovation. This year’s theme centred on how artificial intelligence can contribute to building a sustainable and more efficient travel ecosystem.

The TravAI event was supported by leading organisations, including Akbar Travels, IRCTC, and the Ministry of Tourism.

TravAI: A Shark Tank-Style Contest

The TravAI showcase mirrored the popular show “shark tank” format, with student teams pitching start-up concepts to a panel of experts drawn from aviation, hospitality, government, and technology sectors. More than a dozen teams competed, offering AI-powered solutions for challenges such as traveller safety, cultural preservation, personalised experiences, and hospitality management.

The judging panel featured senior professionals, including Mr. Chandrashekhar Jaiswal, General Manager at Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC); hospitality leader Mr. Mehernosh Deboo; aviation expert Mr. Satbir Singh Narula; AI strategist Mr. Guruprasad Kamath; and sustainable travel-tech investor Mr. Bharat Jethani. Each entry was evaluated for innovation, feasibility, scalability, and market relevance.

Winning Ideas

The first prize of ₹15,000 went to AI Thercost (Team 9), which proposed an AI-integrated hotel operations system. The solution aimed to anticipate guest needs, streamline departmental coordination, and improve service delivery while maintaining human interaction.

The second prize of ₹10,000 was awarded to Itihas VR (Team 4), which impressed judges with its idea of reconstructing heritage monuments through immersive virtual reality. The project, the team said, would serve both as an educational tool and a tourism product to support cultural preservation.

Third place and a cash prize of ₹5,000 went to TripZip (Team 7), an AI-based microservice aggregator designed to simplify multi-modal bookings. The platform envisions enabling travellers to coordinate flights, trains, buses, and local transit under one seamless system.

Beyond the Winners

Other teams presented forward-looking ideas ranging from AI-powered safest-route mapping and off-grid communication tools for adventure tourists to mood-based itinerary planners and conversational AI companions for solo travellers. The breadth of projects reflected a growing awareness of how artificial intelligence can meet both the convenience and safety demands of modern travellers.

Several proposals also addressed efficiency in transport, such as using deep learning to minimise flight delays, as well as the importance of sustainability, emphasising responsible heritage tourism through technology.

Behind the scenes, the event was coordinated by student event heads Aditya Sawalakhe, Madhura Jangam, Ishita Dey, Akansha Pansare, Neelakshi Chaudhary, Balram Ji, Behraam Bulsara, Faiz Shaikh, Aayush Singh, and Arsalaan Mulla, who ensured smooth execution of the first day’s proceedings.