At a time when the world needs new solutions, we find that our old ways of thinking aren’t working. We can no longer think in increments – a little improvement in efficiency here, a little reduction in emissions there won’t help solve problems like climate change. Small improvements won’t bring about the gains we need in public health. Small changes in mindset won’t make our workplaces and educational institutes as diverse as our populations are. We won’t educate everyone unless we radically rethink our education systems.
Fortunately, the sort of blue sky thinking that changes the world already exists. These are the thinkers, tinkerers, experimenters, innovators and doers who operate in the realm of the impractical, the creative, the disruptive. They are young, they are unfettered by our rules and limiting mindsets, and they don’t see impossibility as an absolute. They are the next generation that is emerging from our schools and colleges, and they are raring to fix the problems they have inherited from us.
Samsung has known this for a while. Samsung started the Solve for Tomorrow competition in 2010 in the US with a vision to bring together young minds and empower them to achieve their full potential and pioneer positive social impact. Today, the competition is present in 33 countries, and after the resounding success of the first ever Solve for Tomorrow competition in India last year, Samsung knew this year would only scale greater heights.
In the second year of the Solve for Tomorrow competition in India, over 70,000 teams applied. Of these, 30 have been shortlisted, and in addition to winning ₹20,000 as prize money to be spent on prototyping, these teams of intrepid innovators are attending a 5-day site visit with the best and brightest at Samsung offices across the country. Here, they are working with mentors and guides on refining their designs, learning about the latest technologies they can leverage in their prototypes and solutions, getting expert guidance on design, engineering, critical thinking and all other aspects that go into making a winning solution that will, one day, have real world significance.
Day One of the site visit saw the teams visit Samsung Opera House in Bengaluru. While Karan Vaishnav was excited about being in his dream city, Bhasha Tyaagi of Team Musketeers was thrilled to connect with the experts at Samsung’s R&D Institute.
Day Two brought the teams to the Samsung R&D Institute India (SRI) at Bengaluru. Mithun Nandish Reddy from Team TEG was beyond thrilled. “I’ll always remember it as my first experience walking into a corporate environment.” Radhika Todi from Team Dreamers, on the other hand, made the most of her time by interacting with her (many!) mentors and getting feedback on her ideas.
On Day Three, teams travelled to SRI Noida & SDD, where the superhero vibe really picked up. According to Saibindu Domala of SwapBee, she “felt like Rajinikanth walking into the lead role of a movie.” Harshil Mistry too, had his dream come true moment as he walked into a space he’d been striving towards. Aditi Topariya of Team NIT was able to change her approach using the knowledge she gained during this visit and is looking forward to redefining her solution.
Day Four at SRI Delhi was also equally hectic, and the teams definitely soaked up the ‘get to work’ atmosphere, in addition to attending several sessions with Samsung experts.
Day Five wrapped up the site visit at Samsung RHQ at Gurugram. Divisha Tahilian of team Flutal summed it up perfectly, “The journey, the people here, and all the services are great. I’m looking forward to upcoming events and getting our mentor, which will help us shape our idea.” Saibindu waxed poetic, “The guidance from the Samsung expert team was like a beacon of light on dark roads.”
If the success of last year’s Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Competition is anything to go by, we can’t help but be excited to see what these innovators come up with. The shortlisted teams have worked on areas as diverse as Education and Learning, Environment and Sustainability, Health and Wellness, and finally, Diversity and Inclusion. Breakthroughs in any of these areas are going to reverberate around the world, bringing positive changes where they are needed most.
With the conclusion of the site visits, teams are now heading into the next phase – creating their prototypes. From these 30 solutions, the Samsung jury will pick 10 teams to proceed to the next phase. Each of these teams will win ₹1 Lakh for further development of their prototypes in addition to a bevy of Samsung products. From there on, the teams will be further whittled down to 3 winning teams who will take home up to ₹1.5 Crores between them to build their solution into a real world game changer.
If, like us, you’re also thrilled about the disruptions to come, you can keep an eye on developments here, at Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow Competition.
Comments
0 comment