Saajha, co-founded by Saransh Vaswani, Prashast Srivastava, and Abhishek Choudhary, assists parents of children aged between 6 and 11 studying in Government schools. Through a WhatsApp bot and parent-led helpline, they provide resources and support for the children’s learning journey. Saajha ensures parents understand and meet their children’s educational needs, offering valuable information and guidance. Community-based facilitators, who are parents themselves, are accessible over the helpline to share challenges and seek solutions.

Suraj Meiyur, MIT Solve Fellow and Founder of Next Skills 360, introduces an affordable cardboard-based coding kit for underprivileged students, negating the need for computers. ProGame, their flagship product, uses AI to teach coding to over 2,10,000 government school students, nurturing essential 21st-century skills. It also fosters logical thinking and problem-solving across socio-economic backgrounds. Specialised kits cater to coding education for children with visual impairment and those in the autism spectrum.

Shibani and Pradeep Ghosh founded ‘Parvarish – The Museum School’ in Bhopal, offering innovative education through OASiS. For 19 years, the school has provided free, quality education to underprivileged children, utilising museums as classrooms and exhibits as teaching aids. The museum staff serve as expert educators, imparting conceptual knowledge to the children. Many programme beneficiaries have gone on to achieve success as corporate professionals and entrepreneurs, some even returning to the Museum School as teachers.

Shyam Kumar, founder of VISION, introduced the Smart Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) smart helmet, revolutionising road safety for two-wheeler riders. By integrating technologies like crash detection, real-time alerts, and GPS tracking, the system aims to enhance rider safety. By promoting helmet usage and responsible riding habits, the initiative significantly contributes to reducing accidents and fatalities, fostering a safer society.

Yash Jain, founder of Hygnity, spearheads a mission for ‘Hygiene Dignity’ globally, combatting UTIs with their innovative toilet seat sanitiser. Hygnity’s Antimicrobial Coating ensures self-sanitisation. Profits are allocated to coating toilets in Dharavi, benefiting 22,000 families by 2025. Successfully tested and validated by accredited laboratories, Hygnity eliminates the recurring need for disinfecting toilets and inactivating bacteria on contact.

Surabhi Yadav is the founder and CEO of Sajhe Sapne, which empowers young rural women to become capable, confident, and financially independent. It broadens the horizons of marginalised communities, offering support for women to excel in STEM and management through its rural college model, Sapna Centres. The aim is to foster a lifelong sisterhood network and sustainable career growth pathways for these women.

Dr Binesh Desai, founder of ReArtham Tech LLP, transforms invasive Lantana Camara into eco-friendly wood, providing a sustainable income for tribal communities. Each square foot recycles approximately 1,900 g of Lantana, alleviating environmental burdens threatening wildlife habitats. By establishing micro-social enterprises in rural villages, multiple factories offer tribes alternative income sources, promoting economic empowerment and social sustainability.

Jeeten Desai (JD) and Tiger Aster co-founded Ambiator Private Limited, dedicated to providing cooling solutions without contributing to global warming. Their flagship product, AMBIATOR 5TR, efficiently cools a 750 sq ft space using minimal energy, marking an 80 percent reduction compared to existing technologies. Specifically designed for hot and dry regions, which constitute about 70 percent of India, this climate-appropriate technology is ideal for solar integration.

Chetana C founded Eco Astra, innovating technology to convert unsorted landfill waste into green hydrogen gas, fuel, and eco-friendly construction products. This minimises pollution and CO2 emissions, offering a global solution to waste management. With a focus on creating negative carbon footprint products, Eco Astra utilises patented technology to produce green hydrogen gas for transportation and materials like WoW interlock bricks, roof tiles, and compound slabs.

Govind Agrawal, Arti Agrawal, and Nilesh Maheshwar, co-founders of Anaxee Digital Runners Pvt Ltd, combat vaccination hesitancy in rural India through Project Swaraksha. Leveraging a network of 40,000 digital runners, they’ve aided 3.2 million individuals across 220 districts and 13,000 villages, facilitating 2.6 million vaccinations.

Sandeep Kumar, founder and CEO of DigiSwasthya Foundation, bridges the healthcare gap between urban and rural India. Utilising low-cost phygital telemedicine centres, the foundation connects expert doctors with vulnerable populations, facilitating early diagnoses and timely treatment referrals. This approach enhances the quality of life for underserved communities by ensuring accessible healthcare services in rural areas.

Raman R and Lakshmanan R, co-founders of Backyard Creators, introduce ‘Impulse’, a non-surgical hearing device, that provides an affordable solution for hearing impairments. This innovation bypasses costly surgeries, reducing barriers to improved hearing for underserved communities. It enhances users’ quality of life and promotes societal inclusivity, ensuring accessibility for all, irrespective of economic background.