Samsung India is thrilled to announce the Top 10 teams advancing to the grand finale of ‘Solve for Tomorrow’ 2024, its flagship CSR program. This initiative showcases Samsung’s dedication to youth empowerment and innovation, with a focus on solving pressing societal issues through technology.
Samsung India’s ‘Solve for Tomorrow 2024’: Expanding Regional Reach
The ‘Solve for Tomorrow’ program exemplifies deep regional penetration, as the shortlisted teams hail from some of India’s remotest regions, including Golaghat and Kamrup Rural in Assam, Jhalawar in Rajasthan, Udupi in Karnataka, and Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh. This wide reach underscores the program’s commitment to inclusivity and accessibility, encouraging young minds from all parts of the country to participate.
Themes of Innovation
In its third edition, the program has embraced two overarching themes: ‘Community and Inclusion’ and ‘Environment and Sustainability’. Participants have submitted groundbreaking ideas tackling issues such as education access for underprivileged communities, experiential learning challenges, digital literacy, water conservation, and arsenic pollution. These themes highlight Samsung’s dedication to fostering innovative solutions that drive social change.
Rigorous Selection and Mentorship
The journey to the finale involved a meticulous selection process. Teams underwent multiple rounds of pitch presentations judged by Samsung jury members and benefitted from mentoring sessions provided by experts from Samsung and the Foundation for Innovation & Technology Transfer (FITT), IIT Delhi. Each of the 20 teams initially shortlisted received a grant of INR 20,000 for prototype development. Additionally, the youth track participants were rewarded with the latest Samsung Galaxy laptops, and those in the school track received Galaxy tablets.
Finalist Teams and Their Innovative Solutions
The competition features two tracks: School Track and Youth Track. Here’s a glimpse of the innovative projects from the finalist teams:
School Track Finalists
- SkyGuard Wildfire Monitoring: Aims to mitigate air pollution and wildlife risks by developing real-time environmental monitoring solutions.
- Eco Tech Innovator: Focuses on reducing arsenic contamination in drinking water to improve public health.
- Praetor VR: Develops affordable VR-based learning tools for students who lack access to expensive educational resources.
- You: Supports the LGBTQ community through legal and educational initiatives.
- HamaraLabs: Offers an app for comprehensive course information, simplifying decision-making for students.
Youth Track Finalists
- Metal: Addresses arsenic contamination in groundwater.
- Team Hemta: Develops solutions to reduce agricultural waste burning.
- BioD: Tackles single-use plastic dependency, aiming to lower carbon footprints and pollution.
- Ramdhan Lodha: Provides sustainable solutions for agricultural challenges.
- EnvTech: Offers solutions to decrease over-reliance on borewells.
Collaboration and Rewards
Samsung India has partnered with FITT, IIT Delhi, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY), and other esteemed organizations for this edition of ‘Solve for Tomorrow’. The program introduced design-thinking workshops in over 100 schools across India, nurturing problem-solving capabilities among students.
Exciting Rewards Await
The winning teams from each track will not only gain the title of “Community Champion” or “Environment Champion” but will also receive substantial grants for further development of their prototypes. The School Track winners will be awarded INR 25 Lakh, while the Youth Track winners will earn INR 50 Lakh for incubation at IIT-Delhi. Winning schools and colleges will also receive Samsung products to enhance their educational offerings.
Global Impact and Vision
Launched in the US in 2010, ‘Solve for Tomorrow’ has become a global initiative, operating in 63 countries and engaging over 2.3 million young people. Samsung Electronics remains committed to its global CSR vision of ‘Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People’, providing education that empowers future leaders worldwide.
Join us in celebrating the innovation and creativity of these young minds as they prepare for the grand finale. Together, they are not only solving for tomorrow but also shaping a better future for all.