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The top four winning teams received a grant of INR 1 crore for incubation support at IIT Delhi

Top 20 teams also won INR 1 lakh each and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip smartphones

The programme inked multi-year partnerships with Startup India, Startup Hub and Atal Innovation Mission

 

Samsung, India’s largest consumer electronics brand, today announced the winners of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2025, the fourth edition of its national education programme that challenges school students to use technology to create real-world solutions for pressing challenges in their local communities.

 

The Top Four winning teams — Percevia (Bengaluru), NextPlay.AI (Aurangabad), Paraspeak (Gurugram), and Prithvi Rakshak (Palamu) — received INR 1 crore in incubation grants and will continue to develop their prototypes into scalable real-world solutions with mentorship support at IIT Delhi’s FITT Labs.

 

The jury panel brought together Samsung leadership and experts from across academia, government, and industry to evaluate the finalists’ solutions across four thematic tracks — AI for a Safer, Smarter, and Inclusive Bharat; Future of Health, Hygiene, and Well-being in India; Environmental Sustainability via Technology; and Social Change through Sport and Tech.

 

This year’s Samsung Solve for Tomorrow witnessed thousands of participants from across India presenting bold, human-centered ideas that blended innovation with purpose. For the first time, finalists also gained hands-on access to FITT’s advanced R&D infrastructure, refining their concepts before the Grand Finale.

 

Winning Innovations That Redefine Possibility

Percevia (Bengaluru): An AI-powered wearable glasses system that identifies objects, announces their location through a 33-grid voice and vibration feedback, providing real-time spatial awareness for the visually impaired.

 

NextPlay.AI (Aurangabad): A mobile-first AI platform for sports that integrates an AI Virtual Coach, AI Referee, and Neuro-Inclusive Tracker, ensuring fairness, access, and inclusion for athletes — anytime, anywhere.

 

Paraspeak (Gurugram): A real-time, speaker-independent speech enhancement device that converts slurred speech (dysarthria) into clear communication using deep-learning algorithms, helping individuals communicate confidently.

 

Prithvi Rakshak (Palamu): A community-driven green app that encourages sustainable living through tree adoption, recycling, and gamified eco-actions — promoting environmental awareness across India.

 

Empowering India’s Young Innovators

At the Grand Finale in New Delhi, winners were chosen after a rigorous six-month journey that included multiple mentorship rounds, prototype development, and bootcamps. The Top 20 finalist teams also received INR 1 lakh each and the latest Samsung Galaxy Z Flip smartphones for their creativity and commitment to building a better world.

 

Additionally, the event presented five special awards:

• Goodwill Awards (2) – INR 1,00,000 each
• Young Innovator Awards (2) – INR 1,00,000 each
• Social Media Champion Award – INR 50,000

 

Building India’s Innovation Ecosystem

Through multi-year partnerships with Startup India (DPIIT), MeitY Startup Hub, and Atal Innovation Mission (NITI Aayog), Samsung continues to strengthen India’s youth innovation pipeline — creating opportunities for young changemakers from every corner of Bharat.

 

“Over the years, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow has built an innovation architecture that democratizes technology and celebrates creativity from every part of India. This year, too, we witnessed extraordinary ideas emerging from small towns and rural communities — reaffirming that talent knows no boundaries. Our vision is to keep using technology for good — mentoring, resourcing, and empowering these young innovators to build a more inclusive and future-ready India in line with the government’s pathbreaking initiatives such as Digital India and Startup India,” said Mr JB Park, President and CEO, Samsung Southwest Asia.

 

The jury included experts from Samsung leadership, academia, and government — such as Mr Mohan Rao Goli (MD, SRI-B), Mr Pankaj Mishra (CTO, SRI-D), Mr Yuran Kim (MD, SDD), Mr KY Roo (MD, SRI-N).

 

Other jury members brought cross-domain expertise and diverse perspectives to the evaluation process. The panel included Dr. P.S. Madanagopal, CEO of MeitY Startup Hub; Dr. Srinivasan Venkatrama, Assistant Professor of Design at IIT Delhi; Dr. Rakesh Kaur, Scientist ‘G’, Office of Principal Scientific Adviser to the Govt. of India, Mamtha Venkatesh, Head, Startup India, and Himanshu Joshi, Director of Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, each of whom evaluated entries across all four themes. They were joined by Dr. Rand Harrington, Director of the American Embassy School, who served on the jury for the theme Social Change through Sport and Tech: For Education & Better Futures along with Dr. Sumeet K. Jarangal, Director, DPIIT.

 

Distinguished guests at the Awards Ceremony included Professor Ajay K Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Shombi Sharp, United Nations Resident Coordinator in India, Dr. Nikhil Agarwal, Managing Director, FITT, IIT Delhi and Pragnya Mohan, International Olympic Committee Young Leader.

 

“This generation of young innovators is exactly what India needs. They are capable of designing with purpose, not just imitating what is being done globally. When ideas emerge from the ground up, rooted in local challenges, they have the power to transform our trajectory as a product nation,” said Prof. Ajay K Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India.

 

Driving Innovation for Bharat’s Future

This year’s edition saw participation from every Indian state, with strong representation from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, reaffirming Samsung’s mission to make innovation inclusive and accessible. From AI-powered accessibility tools to sustainability apps, these projects reflect the power of youth-led technology in transforming communities.

 

Through sustained mentorship, access to Samsung’s R&D expertise, and incubation at IIT Delhi, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2025 continues to nurture India’s next generation of innovators — shaping the future of technology, for Bharat and beyond.

Italians are addicted to their cars. In fact, the bel paese has among the highest car ownership in Europe, ranking just behind Poland and Luxembourg, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association. All of which makes it difficult for a new mobility player to break into a market so attached to their precious vehicles. 

But that’s not the only problem. Italy hasn’t always welcomed mobility upstarts with open arms. With taxi licenses tightly controlled, Euractiv has described the country’s taxi lobby as “mafia-like”. Foreign players such as Uber and Bolt have struggled to gain ground due to stringent regulations. The former only operates its premium Black service in Milan and Rome, and it costs more than a conventional taxi.

Despite the challenging environment, it’s clear that Italy needs more services that provide affordable, viable alternatives to private cars. A flexible service that arrives directly to a user could be key in a nation with a rapidly ageing, less mobile population. That’s where Wayla, a point-to-point van ridesharing service, comes in.

Operating in Milan since 2024, the €1.2m that Wayla recently raised through crowdfunding might be small change compared to global mobility giants. But it shows solid proof of public interest. Could this be the start of an Italian mobility revolution? Monocle spoke to Wayla’s co-founder and chief strategy officer, Mario Ferretti, to find out.

What market dynamics sparked the idea for Wayla, and how are you positioning yourself within Italy’s mobility landscape?
Mario Ferretti: Italy is peculiar when it comes to urban mobility. There’s a structural supply-demand gap, so we need new alternatives to move around our cities – and that’s where Wayla comes in. We are importing the idea to the country and defining it in a way that best fits our culture and is compliant with Italian laws. 

We are currently active in Milan. The system is simple: you download the app, sign up and then you can request a point-to-point ride in the urban area. Once requested, a van of ours will come and pick you up. During the ride, other users can join the journey, making it a cheaper option than other alternatives.

Italy has historically been a challenging market for mobility innovators, particularly due to the taxi lobby’s power and its resistance to foreign ride-hailing competitors. How has Wayla navigated this so far?
We are completely compliant with Italian laws, and we are an Italian startup with Italian employees. So our story is different from those of foreign companies. In a political sense, that’s probably why the market has been more welcoming to us than some of the other players in the past. Still, we are bringing competition where it’s needed – and it’s important to do so. We believe there’s room for everyone. There’s a huge and growing demand in Italy from both residents and tourists. Alternatives are needed.

A similar ride-pooling initiative, Moia, recently ceased operations in Hanover. What strategic or operational lessons have you taken from that example as you expand across Italy?
You need to have a clear vision. Moia is more focused on becoming a tech company [than us] and also more focused on providing autonomous vehicles. That’s growing in Italy as well, albeit at a slower rate than in Germany. Germany’s competitive landscape is also different from Italy’s. We have more space to grow here, and we are already doing well in Milan. We are planning to expand into many other cities, where both the municipalities and other private players are calling for us to go. We are pioneers in this country, so we also expect other players to follow us to the market, which is fine. We can grow together. 

How central are electric vehicles to Wayla’s business model?
We are growing a fleet of electric vehicles. We think it’s essential, and not greenwashing. Our vision is to be a sustainable model for urban transportation. We are already using EVs and we will be doing so more in the future. Italy is a bit lagging when it comes to electrification but our role as a mobility player is to push and invest in the decarbonisation of our fleet and that’s what we’re doing. 

You’re right that Italy is often seen as lagging in the adoption of new technology. How are you working with that perception? 
There’s certainly much to do when it comes to communicating the right things, even beyond our country. It’s the responsibility of everyone and anyone in the ecosystem. We need to attract talent, investments and ideas from abroad. There is room to innovate and there is space to disrupt. That’s what we are trying to do with Wayla – and that’s what’s needed for the future of our country.

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