QUANTATHON

Build, backtest, and prove your edge - a challenge for Minixian's.

2-4 Team Size (solo allowed)3 Days DurationOnlineNSE Index Derivatives · Intraday
Overview

A Quant Hackathon, Judged On

L.I.E.

(Logic Idea Execution)

Minix, we don't theorize - we deploy. Quantathon puts that same discipline in your hands: design and backtest an intraday index-derivative strategy inside a fully sandboxed environment.

Every submission is scored on a fixed, 100-point rubric - to name a few like strategy logic, risk management, data handling, execution - then re-run on hidden data it's never seen. Distribution over headline numbers. Code over pitch. No gut calls, no favourites.

Why Join

Six Reasons to Put a Team in

01

Company-wide recognition

Results to be announced company-wide, with exciting cash prize of ₹******/-

02

Real market structure, safely

Trade against genuine index-derivative behaviour with nothing on the line. Every run lives inside a sandboxed paper-trading and backtesting environment - real capital is never at risk.

03

Cross-department collaboration

Build with people outside your usual team. Cross-department pairing isn't just allowed - it's welcomed.

04

Use the AI tools you already use

Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude and similar assistants are yours to use.

05

A path beyond the leaderboard

A strong strategy doesn't stop at scoring well. Top performers get reviewed by the quant and trading desks for real-world adoption.

06

Judged the way we judge ourselves

No vibes, no favourites. Every strategy is stress-tested on hidden data and scored on a fixed, 100-point rubric - the same rigor our own desks run on.

The Challenge

Intraday Index Derivative Strategy

The brief is simple, the bar is high: design and backtest an intraday strategy on NSE Index Derivatives, using the internal data feed and up to two years of historical data.

Every submission is paper-trading and backtesting results only - no live capital, no gray areas.

Eligibility

Eligibility & Team Rules

Who can participate
All Minix employees
Team size
2 – 4
Solo participation allowed
Cross-department teams
Encouraged
Team changes after registration
Not allowed
Keep a healthy balance between Quantathon work and your live-floor and regular responsibilities - participation must not disrupt normal business operations.
Rules

Rules & Guidelines

  • NSE only - Index Derivatives exclusively.
  • Intraday only; no positional or overnight strategies.
  • Live paper trading and backtesting results only - no real capital, no exceptions.
  • Data must come from the internal data feed, using up to two years of historical data.
  • AI code-generation tools (Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude and similar) are allowed.
  • Research runs on the internal research platform - or your own code. Either is fine.
  • Any use of company internal market data or trading systems is restricted to the MOSS sandbox environment. Nothing touches production.
  • Your strategy must be fully executable.
  • Code quality is maintained throughout: clean, documented, and reproducible from a fresh checkout.
  • Every qualifying team presents a hypothesis session - walking the judges through the strategy's logic and reasoning.
  • Followed by a live Q&A, where the team defends its approach and answers judges' questions directly.

This is a summary for quick reference - the full guidelines document issued by the Core Organizing Committee governs in case of any conflict. Read the full guidelines

Timeline

Key Dates

Total event runs 3 days, fully online.

01

Registration opens

21 September
02

Registration closes

23 September
03

Sandbox access

25 September
03

Strategy Development

25 - 27 September
04

Trading day

28 September
05

Evaluation

On trading day - 28 Sep, after market hours
06

Results announced

TBD
Judging

Scored on Substance

Every submission is stress-tested on hidden, out-of-sample data by the simulation team, then scored against a fixed rubric - no subjective favourites, no last-minute persuasion.

CriterionPoints
Strategy framework12 pts

Real hypothesis, defined universe and timeframe, stated kill conditions.

Core logic15 pts

No lookahead, tuned in-sample only, stable across parameters.

Data handling12 pts

Detects packet drops, stale quotes, bad ticks; defined recovery and resync.

Risk management15 pts

Derived sizing, per-trade and daily loss limits, exposure caps, working kill switch.

Execution framework12 pts

Full order lifecycle, realistic costs and latency, no duplicate orders.

Code quality10 pts

Runs from a clean checkout, reproducible, config externalised, tested.

Strategy controls14 pts

Position management · OTR ceiling 50:1 · volatility-scaled profit trailing.

Presentation10 pts

Judges' discretion.

Scored out of 100 across eight categories. Core logic and risk management carry the most weight, but data handling, execution, code quality and strategy controls all count toward the total - the panel weighs the whole picture, not profitability alone.

Prizes

Prizes & Recognition

01 — FIRST PLACE
Top-ranked strategy
₹****** cash prize
Prize type
₹****** Cash Prize

Cash prize will be given to the winning team.

Distribution & timing

Distributed via payroll / HR, shortly after results are announced.

Contact

For any queries

Technical support
  • Lancylord Dmonte
  • Nilesh Mahajan
  • Ravi Prakash
  • Bishal Suvechha
  • Aneesh Chali
  • Dhruv Rohit
General queries
  • Mridul Malti
  • Kinshu Kushmaker

Ready to Prove Your Edge?

Registration closes 23 September - teams of 2-4 or solo.

Register NowRead the full rules & guidelines →
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Is real-money trading allowed?

No. Simulation, paper trading and backtesting only.

Can I use ChatGPT, Claude or Copilot?

Yes - under the standard Minix AI-usage policy.

Can I participate solo?

Yes. Teams of 2–4 are also welcome, and cross-department teams are encouraged.

What does "fully executable" actually mean?

Your code has to run end-to-end without manual intervention - no missing dependencies, no undocumented setup steps, nothing patched by hand to produce a result.

Can I change my team after registering?

No. Team changes are not allowed once registration closes.

What happens in the Q&A?

Judges question your approach directly and you defend it live - no scripted answers, no re-dos.