Skilling youth in building real-life innovations

New Delhi: Samsung India announced it has partnered the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) Startup Hub and Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT), IIT Delhi, for the second season of its national education and innovation competition.

Called 'Samsung Solve for Tomorrow,' the programme invites youth in age group 16-22 to apply with their innovative ideas around education and learning, environment and sustainability, health and wellness and diversity and inclusion.

The top three teams will win Rs 1.5 crore to turn their ideas into action while others participants who reach top 30 and top 10 will be rewarded at various stages of the programme.

Participants will receive mentoring and training from Samsung, IIT Delhi and MeitY Startup Hub.

"The vision of the government is to promote a vibrant ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship in the country, and youth are at the centre of this. They need all the support and mentoring that can help them turn their ideas into reality, creating a strong social impact along the way," said Alkesh Kumar Sharma, Secretary, MeitY.

The first season of the initiative in 2022 received over 18,000 registrations from youth across the country. This year, anyone in India aged 16-22 can apply till 5 pm on May 31.

"The entries we got in the first season provided us with a unique snapshot of the concerns and issues on the minds of India's youth. They looked at issues ranging from waste management, electricity and water wastage, plastic waste, speech disorders as well as pandemic prediction and solutions," said JongBum Park, President and CEO, Samsung Southwest Asia.

First launched in the US in 2010, the 'Solve for Tomorrow' programme is currently operational in 63 countries globally and has seen over 2.3 million young people participate worldwide.

"We are happy to partner with Samsung to enable young innovators to convert their ideas into solutions for real world problems through the 'Solve for Tomorrow' competition," added professor Rangan Banerjee, Director, IIT Delhi.