Er. Prabhat Kishore In today’s rapidly evolving world, innovation stands as a key catalyst to transform Bharat into a developed and self-reliant country. The ability to innovate empowers our youth to address complex challenges, drive sustainable development and elevate India’s position globally as a hub of creativity and technological advancement, ultimately contributing to the spirit and making of a Viksit Bharat by 2047. In line with this vision, a nationwide innovation competition named “Viksit Bharat Buildathon 2025” has been organized by the Ministry of Education, GOI in collaboration with the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). It aims to inspire creative thinking for national development, promote self-reliance and sustainable development, engage school in synchronized innovation, and position Bharat as a global innovation hub through a potential world record. The initiative is envisaged as a key instrument for advancing the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and Samagra Shiksha, especially in promoting innovation, experiential learning and problem-solving among school students. The NEP 2020 provides a strong foundation for this innovation-driven approach, emphasizing that “education must move towards less content, and more towards learning about how to think critically and solve problems, how to be creative and multidisciplinary, and how to innovate, adapt and absorb new materials in novel and changing fields.” Furthermore, NEP 2020 promotes experiential learning, including practical learning and encourages activities involving the integration of contemporary subjects to develop critical 21stcentury skills in students. The Buildathon will strengthen the innovation culture among students and align their creative energies with India’s developmental priorities. It will also set the stage for the upcoming 50,000 Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) announced by the Ministry of Education in the Union Budget. Through this effort, students will conceive, design, and develop prototypes (STEM and Non-STEM) under four focus themes of national importance : (1) Atmanirbhar Bharat-for Building self-reliant systems, devices, and solutions, (2) Swadeshi-for Promoting indigenous ideas, knowledge systems, and innovation, (3) Vocal for Local-for Promoting local products, crafts, and resources, and (4) Samriddh Bharat-for Creating pathways to prosperity and sustainable development. The Objectives of the Buildathon are :-(i) To inspire 1 Crore students to think creatively and build solutions for national development, (ii) To create a culture of innovation based on experiential learning, (iii) To promote the values of self-reliance, indigenous innovation based on local felt need and sustainable development, (iv) To engage schools across Bharat in a synchronized, hands-on innovation actively for common goals, (v) To Project Bharat as the global capital for innovation through a world record, and (vi) To provide a national and global platform to celebrate student innovators and young problem-solvers. A team of 5 to 7 students will participate in the Buildathon and submit entries in the form of videos. There will be no limit on the number of teams from a school.All the team of students will be supported by teachers, higher institutions, corporates, and others to build their projects at the school level. Students will have a window from 23rd September to 11th October 2025 to register on the Viksit Bharat Buildathon portal ( https://vbb.mic.gov.in/ ).This will be followed by a preparatory period for schools, from 6th October to 13th October 2025, wherein teachers, mentors and corporates will guide student teams through the registration and submission process on the portal.Students will then submit their initial ideas and prototypes on the portal. Thelive Synchronised Innovation Event will be held on 13rd October 2025. Hon’ble Prime Minister will inaugurate the Viksit Bharat Buildathon at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, in presence of 400 school students and dignitaries.The event on 13th September 2025 will be streamed on news and media channels, YouTube, and webinar platforms (Zoom/Webex). Following the event, students will submit their final entries (photos and videos of their innovation activities) on the Portal from 13thOctober to 31stOctober 2025.The Idea will be in two forms. The first will be as written document, in which the student teams will note down problem and its local tested solutions. The second will be as Prototype, in which the student teams will make physical product with local available resources along with written description. A panel of experts appointed by the Ministry of Education will then evaluate the submissions over a two-month period, from 1stNovember to 31stDecember 2025.The Buildathon will conclude in January 2026 with the announcement of the results and the felicitation of top 1,000+ winners. There will be 10 winners at national level, 100 winners at state level and 1000 winners at district level, for which an award pool of Rs 1 Crore has been fixed. Top schools will be adopted by corporate partners to foster innovation through mentorship, resources, and long-term support. The Outcomes expected from Buildathon are – (i) Engagement of students in the world’s largest live innovation activity, (ii) Development of lakhs of grassroots prototypes aligned with national priorities, (iii) Projecting Bharat as a Global Innovation Capital, (iv) Empowerment of schools from aspirational and underprivileged areas through national and global spotlight, (v) Enhanced mentor-student partnerships to connect schools with incubators, higher education institutions, and corporates, (vi) Setting momentum for the establishment of 50,000 new ATLs across Bharat. The Viksit Bharat Buildathon 2025 will be a historic innovation movement, mobilizing lakhs of students in one synchronized activity across Bharat and the world. Focused on Vocal for Local, Atmanirbhar Bharat, Swadeshi, and Samriddh Bharat, the initiative will nurture innovation, celebrate creativity, and reinforce India’s march towards Viksit Bharat @ 2047. The Buildathon provides a unique opportunity for young individuals to identify real world challenges and devise sustainable solutions through collaboration and technology. It will not only showcase India’s young innovators, but will also create a global record-setting platform for innovation, self-reliance, and national pride. (The author is an engineer and educationist)
