India's Solve for Tomorrow 2024 event showcases next-generation potential

Samsung India has announced the winning teams of the 3rd edition of Solve for Tomorrow, the company's flagship corporate citizenship education program. The team from Golaghat, Assam, which developed an idea for equitable access to safe drinking water, was declared the Community Champion in the School Track. The Environmental Champion in the Youth Track was the team from Udupi, Karnataka, who developed a technology to remove arsenic from groundwater. JB Park, President and CEO, Samsung Southwest Asia, and Shombi Sharp, United Nations Resident Coordinator in India, presented certificates and trophies to these teams.

"We are incredibly proud of the innovation and creativity demonstrated by all the Solve for Tomorrow participants. Through our flagship CSR initiative, we aim to empower young minds by providing them with the tools, mentorship and opportunities they need to address some of the most pressing challenges facing their communities and the environment. The achievements of Eco Tech Innovator and METAL reflect the potential of the next generation to create meaningful impact through technology and innovation. We look forward to seeing these young innovators' ideas come to life and make a lasting difference," said JB Park, President and CEO, Samsung Southwest Asia.

The grand finale kicked off with the pitch event, followed by an awards ceremony. Top Samsung executives and employees attended the event, along with winners from previous editions of Solve for Tomorrow, the Grand Jury members and mentors of the 10 teams, and representatives from FITT, IIT Delhi, MeitY and the United Nations in India.

Students submitted their ideas under two overarching themes: ‘Community and Inclusion’ and ‘Environment and Sustainability’. The Youth Track submitted ideas under these broad themes, but most of the ideas focused on tackling key issues such as education and access to resources for less privileged communities, challenges in experiential learning, digital literacy, water conservation and arsenic pollution.

This year, Shankar Srinivas, the 2022 Solve for Tomorrow winner recognized for his project to develop a wearable device for stress management and recently appointed as a Solve for Tomorrow Ambassador, shared his inspiring journey and experiences during the award ceremony. His story demonstrates the power of innovation and passion and encourages young minds to tackle real-world problems with creativity and determination.

Samsung is committed to nurturing young innovators and providing them with the tools and resources to turn their visions into reality. Over the past few weeks, experts from Samsung, FITT and IIT-Delhi worked closely with the top 10 teams, mentoring them as they developed innovative and groundbreaking solutions to real-world challenges. This mentorship helped the teams refine their ideas and guided them through the development of functional prototypes. These prototypes were then presented to the judges during the Grand Finale.

This year, participants from both schools and colleges came from tier 2 and 3 cities and remote regions across India, from Imphal in Manipur to the East Khasi Hills in Meghalaya and Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh. With innovative ideas to address local challenges, they sought to not only transform their communities, but also contribute to solving broader national issues by using technology to drive positive change across the country.

Launched in the U.S. in 2010, the Solve for Tomorrow program is now active in 63 countries around the world and has engaged more than 2.3 million young innovators worldwide. In line with Samsung Electronics' global CSR vision - "Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People," the initiative is dedicated to providing young people with the education and skills they need to become the leaders of the future.