From an idea that once existed on paper to solutions with the potential to make a real difference, the four winning teams of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2026 have taken home much more than an incubation grant.

They are carrying forward newfound confidence, conviction and the belief that their ideas can change the world.

For the four winning teams of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow (SFT) 2026, the moment their names were announced at the Grand Finale in New Delhi was about much more than winning a competition. It was the culmination of months of learning, experimentation, mentorship and pushing the boundaries of what they believed was possible.

For some, the victory still feels unreal. For others, it has opened doors they had only imagined. But across all four teams, there is one sentiment that resonates: the SFT experience has been nothing short of transformational.

“Wow!” is how Team QuantHunt from Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh, describes its SFT journey in a single word. “It was fabulous, amazing and transformational. The way the entire programme was planned and executed was excellent. It was designed to empower us, and that made all the difference,” the team said.

Led by 21-year-old Akul Attre and 20-year-old Saksham Shreyans, QuantHunt is developing an AI-based cybersecurity solution that identifies encryption vulnerabilities and helps organisations prepare their digital infrastructure for emerging risks associated with quantum computing. Winning in the AI Living for India category has given the young innovators not just recognition but also the resources and encouragement to take their ambitious idea further.

For Team morphism from Raipur, Chhattisgarh, the victory is still sinking in. “We still can’t believe we have won. It is the most amazing experience, and honestly, it feels surreal,” the team said.

Led by Ananya Agrawal and Adityasai Bakthashanmuganandam, morphism is working on an AI-powered system that helps autistic individuals better understand emotions by analysing subtle facial expressions and other behavioural signals, particularly addressing challenges associated with alexithymia.

Their journey from making it to the national Top 40 to emerging as winners in the Health and Education category has been one of persistence, learning and discovery. For the team, the recognition is an affirmation of their belief in building technology that can make the world more inclusive.

For Team InnoBotix from New Delhi, the SFT journey has been an opportunity to see its idea evolve into something much bigger than initially imagined.

“It has been a great opportunity, almost a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We are already receiving offers, both nationally and internationally. SFT has transformed our idea into something else altogether. We believe in our product much more strongly now,” the team said.

Led by Avi Mohan Kumar and Yash Varshney, InnoBotix has developed Sentinel, a solar-powered AI edge device that combines cameras, radar and seismic data to detect wildlife approaching human settlements and provide early warnings. The solution, which won in the Environmental Sustainability category, aims to address the growing challenge of human-wildlife conflict through technology.

For the young innovators, the experience has gone beyond developing a product. It has helped them recognise its larger potential, strengthen their confidence and see possibilities for taking their solution to a wider audience.

Team Somatrace from Hyderabad, Telangana, believes that one of the biggest takeaways from SFT has been the clarity and conviction it has brought to its idea.

“SFT was a great experience. It helped me put things into perspective. I feel even more strongly about our idea now and are determined to pursue it further. The programme made me believe that this is not something that has to happen someday in the future. It is something that can happen now,” Homanshika said.

Developed by a young innovator from Hyderabad, Somatrace is building a wearable IoT-based training tool that measures spinal angles and physical load during training. By providing insights into movement and potential injury risks, the solution aims to help precision-sport athletes and coaches make more informed training decisions.

Winning in the Sport and Tech category has further strengthened the team’s resolve to take its innovation forward and explore its potential to make sports training safer and more effective.

More than a competition: A journey of transformation

While the four winning teams have distinct ideas addressing challenges across cybersecurity, inclusion, environmental sustainability and sports, their journeys share a common thread: the transformation of an idea into a solution with real-world potential.

As they move into the next chapter, backed by Samsung’s incubation support and carrying the confidence gained through the programme, their journey is far from over. In many ways, it is only just beginning.

Samsung Electronics today announced that Interbrand, a global brand consultancy, ranked the company No. 5 on its annual “Best Global Brands” list for the seventh consecutive year, with a brand value of USD 105.2 billion. Samsung is the only company based in Asia to remain in the global top five each year since 2020.

Interbrand’s evaluation reflected:

• Record earnings, driven by focused investments in AI semiconductors
• Stronger AI competitiveness in the Device eXperience (DX) Division
• A customer-centric brand strategy under the “One Samsung” approach

The Device Solutions (DS) Division continued to grow by increasing the supply of high-value memory products to meet rising demand for AI. It also maintained its technological leadership with the industry’s first mass production and commercial shipment of HBM4.

The DX Division is bringing greater convenience to people’s daily lives through personalized AI experiences and connectivity across its products, including mobile devices, televisions, and home appliances. This year, Samsung introduced Galaxy Z Fold8, an eighth generation Galaxy foldable, featuring a new form factor and a 4:3 display aspect ratio that redefines the foldable category. The design resonated strongly with younger consumers while broadening the device’s appeal across generations.

As one of the longest-standing brand consultancies, Interbrand evaluates brand value annually through a comprehensive analysis of a company’s financial performance and outlook, the brand’s influence on purchasing decisions, and its competitiveness. The evaluation considers strategy, empathy, differentiation, customer engagement, consistency, and trust.

The Government, Innovation Leaders and the UN have lauded Samsung CSR’s focus to nurture young innovators, expanding access to innovation opportunities across India and helping transform ideas into solutions with real-world impact through Samsung Solve for Tomorrow.

Addressing Samsung leaders, industry experts, SFT mentors and participants at the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2026 Grand Finale in New Delhi, Sushil Pal, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), said innovation must be measured by its ability to improve people’s lives. He commended Samsung for creating a platform that gives young people the confidence to dream and the opportunity to develop products and build startups.

“It’s very heartening to see that Samsung is doing so much for society through their CSR initiatives. I thank Samsung for creating a platform which gives young minds the confidence to dream and the opportunity to build their product and to build their startup,” Pal said.

The fifth edition of Samsung’s flagship CSR programme, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow received more than 34,000 student applications, with 60 finalists reaching the Grand Finale. The programme encourages young people to apply science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to address challenges in their communities, supporting them as they develop and refine solutions with the potential to create meaningful change.

Pal noted that the rise of artificial intelligence had changed the nature of innovation, with technology increasingly shaping how people learn, work, manufacture and access services. He urged young innovators to focus not merely on developing advanced technologies but on addressing pressing human needs.

“The real measure of innovation does not lie in how complex the algorithm is. It lies in what difference it can make to a common person’s life,” he said.

He cited challenges such as helping farmers save water and power, bringing health diagnostics to underserved areas, improving access to quality education in remote villages and enabling scientific sports training. These, he said, were opportunities to contribute to nation-building.

Pal also called on industry to help people adapt to a changing world of work, emphasising that as AI automates some tasks and augments others, preparing people for evolving job roles would be as important as developing new technologies.

Connecting young innovators with global challenges

Stefan Priesner, United Nations Resident Coordinator in India, highlighted SFT’s role in bringing young people’s ideas into the broader effort to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He noted that global progress towards these goals remained too slow and uneven, making youth participation and scalable solutions increasingly important.

“Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is a strong example of the United Nations system and the private sector working together to advance a youth-centred agenda, amplify young voices, and give promising ideas the support they need to grow,” Priesner said.

He emphasised that the private sector could contribute beyond corporate social responsibility by aligning business priorities with environmental sustainability and social inclusion, while helping innovative solutions reach a wider population. Governments, universities, businesses and the UN, he said, all had a role in helping promising ideas scale.

Priesner also encouraged the finalists to remain connected to the communities they hoped to serve, continuously testing and improving their ideas to ensure they could deliver meaningful impact.

Taking innovation beyond metros and creating job creators

Dr Nikhil Agarwal, Managing Director of the Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT) at IIT Delhi, highlighted Samsung’s CSR efforts to help bring innovation opportunities to a wider pool of young people.

“Samsung Solve for Tomorrow shows the commitment as they have gone to Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns and different states for building that momentum. SFT got double the number of applications this year and it shows,” Agarwal said.

The programme’s outreach included more than 180 sessions across over 130 cities, helping engage students from diverse geographies and backgrounds. The growth in participation, Agarwal noted, reflected the momentum built by taking the initiative beyond major urban centres.

He also underscored the importance of translating student-led innovation into entrepreneurship, encouraging participants to build ventures that could create opportunities for others.

“You should become job creators, not job doers,” Agarwal told the students, expressing hope that future entrepreneurs would emerge from the programme and build companies that generate employment.

At the 2026 Grand Finale, four winning teams were selected to receive incubation grants totalling ₹2 crore from Samsung, along with mentorship and incubation support at FITT-IIT Delhi. SFT provides promising young innovators with mentorship and incubation support to help them develop their ideas further.

The speakers’ remarks underscored the value of platforms such as Samsung Solve for Tomorrow in bringing together government, industry, international institutions and academia to nurture young talent. By encouraging students to identify real-world problems, develop technology-led solutions and explore entrepreneurship, the programme seeks to help turn promising ideas into innovations that can make a difference at scale.

Women accounted for 71% of the 5,000 participants trained and certified under Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) in Tamil Nadu in 2025, making the state’s cohort a notable example of women’s participation in technology skills development.

Tamil Nadu’s 5,000 participants represented one-fourth of the 20,000 youth trained across India through SIC in 2025. Women made up 48% of the national cohort.

In 2025, participants received training in four technology domains: AI, Coding and Programming, Big Data, and the Internet of Things (IoT). The programme also covered problem-solving, communication and workplace readiness to help participants prepare for employment.

The programme’s focus has since shifted to Artificial Intelligence (AI). In 2026, SIC is on track to train 20,000 young people across India in AI, including 5,000 in Tamil Nadu.

In 2025, participants in Tamil Nadu received training in four technology domains: AI, Coding and Programming, Big Data, and the Internet of Things (IoT). The programme also covered problem-solving, communication and workplace readiness to help participants prepare for employment.

“My primary motivation was to explore AI, improve my problem-solving abilities, and gain hands-on experience through practical assignments and projects. I also wanted to enhance my technical and analytical skills, collaborate with like-minded learners, and understand how emerging technologies are applied to solve real-world challenges. Joining Samsung Innovation Campus changed my perspective. The programme provided practical, industry-relevant learning and helped me develop both technical knowledge and problem-solving skills,” said Sharmi S, who completed the programme in Tamil Nadu by specializing in AI.

Similarly, for Subiksha A, another student from the state, the programme motivated her to pursue continuous skill development, explore innovative ideas, and approach technical challenges with confidence.

“I am currently working as a Developer at Industrial Production Aider, Sriperumbudur, marking an important milestone in my professional journey,” she said.

Training and certification were delivered with partner institutions including the University of Madras, Anna University, Queen Mary’s College in Chennai, Mohamed Sathak AJ College of Engineering in Chennai, and KPR Institute of Engineering and Technology in Coimbatore.

Across India, SIC trained 20,000 young people in 2025, expanding to 10 states. The programme was implemented in collaboration with the Electronics Sector Skills Council of India (ESSCI) and the Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC), through accredited training partners.

As JBL celebrates its 80th anniversary in 2026, the company’s history is closely intertwined with how people create and enjoy music. Audio technologies refined in recording studios and live venues have made their way into everyday life, while JBL’s products have evolved alongside changing listening habits. Decades of innovation and experience have helped define JBL’s signature sound.

Samsung Newsroom traces JBL’s 80-year journey through its iconic products and defining moments in the infographic below.

Samsung India today announced the winners of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2026, with this year’s entries spanning 648 cities across 28 states and seven union territories. At the Grand Finale in New Delhi, four teams won incubation grants totaling ₹2 crore from Samsung to take their technology-led solutions forward.

The winning teams — QuantHunt from Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh; morphism from Raipur, Chhattisgarh; InnoBotix from New Delhi and Somatrace from Hyderabad, Telangana — will also receive mentorship and incubation support at FITT, IIT Delhi, to develop their prototypes towards market-ready solutions, with the potential to evolve into startups of the future.

This year’s finalists in India were selected through a six-month journey that included 184 design thinking workshops across 135 cities, intensive bootcamps, prototype development and pitch evaluations. They presented solutions across four themes: AI Living for India, Health and Education, Sport and Tech and Environmental Sustainability.

Now in its fifth edition in India, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is part of a global programme. Since 2022, around 80,000 students have participated, using science, technology, engineering and mathematics to identify challenges in their communities and develop solutions.

Four winning solutions

AI Living for India: QuantHunt – Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh: An AI-based cybersecurity solution designed to identify encryption vulnerabilities and help organisations prepare their digital systems for emerging quantum-computing risks.

Health and Education: morphism – Raipur, Chhattisgarh: An AI system designed to help autistic individuals better understand emotions by analysing subtle facial expressions and other behavioural signals.

Environmental Sustainability: InnoBotix – New Delhi: Sentinel, a solar-powered AI edge device that uses cameras, radar and seismic data to detect wildlife approaching human settlements and provide early warnings.

Sport and Tech: Somatrace – Hyderabad, Telangana: A wearable IoT training tool that measures spinal angles and load during training to help precision-sport athletes and coaches better understand injury risk.

The Top 20 teams received ₹20 lakh in grants, and each member received a Samsung Galaxy flagship smartphone. The Grand Finale also recognised teams through two Community Choice Awards of ₹1 lakh each and a Digital Impact Award of ₹50,000.

This year’s entries featured human-centred solutions using artificial intelligence, wearable IoT and sustainable design. Over 50% of the ideas came from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, demonstrating that innovation is not confined to urban centres and that promising solutions to real-world challenges can emerge from every corner of Bharat.

The finalists received mentorship from Samsung, startup founders and experts from FITT, IIT Delhi to refine their hardware and software prototypes.

“India’s next wave of innovation will depend on how well we connect technology to people’s needs and give young people the opportunity to take ideas from the problems they see to solutions they can test and build. Sustaining that journey strengthens the country’s capacity to innovate and is an important part of nation-building. This year’s Samsung Solve for Tomorrow finalists have brought curiosity, empathy and purpose to challenges in their communities, applying emerging technologies to real-world problems. As Samsung celebrates 30 years in India, we are proud to support their journey. The four winning teams reflect a confident, inventive Bharat, ready to turn ingenuity into impact,” said Mr. JB Park, President and CEO, Samsung South West Asia.

Partnerships to support the next stage

Samsung has strategic partnerships with United Nations in India, FITT, IIT Delhi, Startup India (DPIIT), MeitY Startup Hub, Atal Innovation Mission (NITI Aayog) and Manthan, Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India.

These partnerships connect young innovators with wider support across India’s startup and innovation ecosystem. Through these collaborations, Samsung is helping build a culture of problem-solving and entrepreneurship, empowering young innovators to transform their ideas into market-ready solutions.

The Grand Finale also featured an Investor Meet for all Top 20 teams. The interaction gave the young innovators an opportunity to engage with the startup and investment ecosystem and explore pathways to take their innovations to the next level.

Distinguished guests at the awards ceremony included Sushil Pal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & Technology, Government of India, Stefan Priesner, United Nations Resident Coordinator in India and Nikhil Agarwal, Managing Director, FITT, IIT Delhi.

“Innovation advances sustainable development when it is guided by inclusion, empathy and a clear understanding of people’s needs. India’s young innovators are at the heart of achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Samsung Solve for Tomorrow gives young people the opportunity to have these values frame their solutions for a more inclusive and sustainable future. I congratulate the winners and all participants, and commend Samsung for encouraging young people to engage with the challenges shaping our shared future,” said Stefan Priesner, United Nations Resident Coordinator in India.

“Science and technology create the greatest value when they address challenges in people’s lives. This year’s Samsung Solve for Tomorrow finalists have brought that approach to a wide range of issues, from healthcare and sustainability to sports, using curiosity and problem-solving to shape their ideas. Platforms that take young people from identifying a challenge to designing and testing a solution strenghten the ecosystem with a culture of innovation across the country,” said Prof. Umesh V. Waghmare, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.

“Innovation takes more than a promising idea; it requires a deep understanding of the user and the discipline to test, refine and scale a solution. This year’s Samsung Solve for Tomorrow finalists have demonstrated both technological ingenuity and a strong sense of purpose. The next step is to help the winning teams move beyond prototypes towards solutions with measurable impact. I congratulate them and look forward to seeing how they use the incubation support to contribute to India’s startup ecosystem,” said Dr. PS Madanagopal, CEO, MeitY Startup Hub.

The Grand Finale jury comprised Mohan Rao Goli, Managing Director, Samsung R&D Institute India-Bengaluru; KY Roo, Managing Director, Samsung R&D Institute India-Noida; Demian Hyun, Managing Director, Samsung R&D Institute India-Delhi; and Yuran Kim, Managing Director, Samsung Design Delhi. The external jury included Himanshu Joshi, Director, AIM, NITI Aayog; Dr. Srinivasan Venkatraman, Assistant Professor, IIT Delhi; Dr. Sapna Poti, Director, Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India; and Saurabh Ranjan, Scientist, MeitY.

Through its global CSR vision, “Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People”, Samsung works to expand access to knowledge, skills and resources. In India, its citizenship programmes are guided by “Powering Innovation for India”, supporting young people as they build a better future for their communities.

When Subiksha A began studying Information Technology at St. Antony’s College of Arts and Sciences for Women in Dindigul, she was drawn to technology. She had studied Python, web development, machine learning and databases, but wondered whether she could keep pace with a field changing so quickly.

She wanted to move beyond theory and understand how emerging technologies could address real problems. She also wanted to become more confident about taking on unfamiliar challenges.

Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) helped her connect classroom learning with practical applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Structured lessons and assignments encouraged her to experiment, learn from mistakes and approach technical problems with greater confidence.

Samsung Innovation Campus is Samsung’s global education programme that equips young people with advanced technology skills through structured learning and practical training. In 2026, it aims to train 20,000 youth across India in AI, supporting the country’s Digital India and Skill India ambitions.

“Samsung Innovation Campus has had a significant impact on both my personal and professional growth. More than teaching me technical concepts, it changed the way I approach learning and problem-solving,” Subiksha says.

Balancing the programme with college responsibilities helped her build discipline, consistency and time-management skills—habits she believes will matter as she prepares to enter the workforce.

Subiksha hopes to keep learning about AI and contribute to solutions that make a positive difference. The experience has changed how she views setbacks: a difficult concept is no longer a reason to doubt herself, but a prompt to try, ask questions and improve.

Her experience reflects the value of practical technology education for young women as AI skills become increasingly relevant across industries. Hands-on learning can help students see a place for themselves in fields that may once have seemed out of reach.

“To every young girl who dreams of building a career in technology, I would say: never underestimate your potential. You do not need to have all the answers before you begin.”

For Subiksha, confidence has grown alongside her skills. Her journey in AI is just beginning, but she now sees herself as someone who can contribute to the technology shaping the future.

As artificial intelligence begins to reshape classrooms, learning is becoming increasingly interactive, digital and personalised. But for visually impaired students, accessing these new possibilities can present a different set of challenges. As educational tools evolve, how can students who cannot rely on screens navigate this changing landscape and participate more independently in their learning?

For Aditya and Sparsh, two 17-year-olds from Delhi, this is a question worth working on.

Together, they have built Team Equinox and are developing SARA AI, a voice-first, agentic AI companion designed to make digital learning more accessible to visually impaired students. Their idea is now among the Top 20 solutions submitted for Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2026.

A global problem-solving platform, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow helps youth around the world use STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) to build a better future. Participants identify problems in their communities and develop creative solutions with the help of technology.

The idea is rooted in a simple ambition: as technology changes how students learn, access to those opportunities should not depend on whether someone can see a screen.

SARA AI is being developed to let students interact with learning through voice commands, convert speech into text, track their learning progress and participate in tests and assessments. It can also check in with users after periods of inactivity, helping create a more interactive learning experience.

For the two young innovators, the challenge goes beyond building a piece of technology. It is about exploring how AI can support students in navigating their education with greater independence and confidence.

Building for the learner, not just the technology

Ideas often begin with a problem, but making them useful requires listening to the people who experience it. Team Equinox has tested SARA AI with more than 40 students in Delhi and engaged with schools and trusts to better understand the needs of visually impaired learners.

These interactions have helped the team explore how the solution might work in real learning environments, where accessibility, ease of use and reliability matter as much as the technology itself.

The experience has also highlighted an important lesson for the young innovators: a promising prototype is only the beginning. For a solution to make a difference, it must respond to everyday needs and work for the people it is intended to serve.

Team Equinox is among the Top 20 teams selected for Samsung Solve for Tomorrow (SFT), a global problem-solving platform that encourages young people to use science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to address challenges in their communities.

Through the programme, the team is receiving guidance to take SARA AI beyond its initial prototype and explore how it could become a practical, scalable solution for visually impaired students.

From a working prototype to a real-world solution

The SFT Bootcamp gave Aditya and Sparsh an opportunity to look at their idea from perspectives beyond technology. Sessions on design thinking, marketing and the startup ecosystem encouraged them to consider not just how SARA AI functions, but also how students might use it, how its reliability could be improved and what it would take to introduce it into educational settings.

Mentorship helped the team refine its prototype, while one-on-one sessions with Samsung and FITT, IIT Delhi, along with inputs from AI experts in Samsung’s R&D ecosystem, helped them work through technical challenges and explore a potential go-to-market strategy.

For two 17-year-olds navigating the journey from an idea to a potential real-world solution, this exposure has broadened the scope of what building technology entails. It has brought questions of usability, implementation and adoption into sharper focus.

The team is now exploring how SARA AI could be adopted by schools, non-governmental organisations and other institutions that support visually impaired students.

A bigger classroom for the idea

Team Equinox hopes to expand SARA AI across schools in Delhi, with the potential to reach approximately 6,000 students, subject to further development and adoption.

The ambition is significant, but the idea begins with an everyday need: making learning easier to access for students who may otherwise face barriers when educational experiences are designed primarily around visual interfaces.

For Aditya and Sparsh, the journey through Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is an opportunity to understand what it takes to turn that ambition into something practical. Their experience reflects a larger lesson about innovation: meaningful solutions are shaped not only by technical possibilities, but also by the willingness to listen, learn and keep improving.

As AI becomes a more prominent part of education, Team Equinox is working towards a future in which visually impaired students can engage with these tools on more inclusive terms.

At 17, the two Delhi students are still developing their idea. But with SARA AI, they are asking a question that matters far beyond their own classroom: as technology moves learning forward, how can we make sure everyone has a chance to move forward with it?

The next breakthrough may begin with a problem a young person sees every day: unsafe drinking water, stubble burning, barriers to communication or a gap in local services.

The 16 startup founders mentoring Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2026 finalists say young innovators are increasingly drawing on their own experience and understanding of the people they want to serve. Among them are Ankit Garg, Robin Singh, Samridhi Bhardwaj and Dishant Mishra. They see wider access to technology and information helping ideas emerge from smaller cities and communities across India.

“They really want to solve a problem that is actually hurting someone somewhere. Even if the market is looking small, these young innovators are attempting it, they are going for it, and they are solving those problems,” said Dishant Mishra, founder of IIT Delhi-incubated Water Resources. “Creating a market is going to be the second step, and they are not focused on the second step. Perhaps that is the refreshing change that I have observed with this year’s cohort.”

Robin Singh, founder of water-quality intelligence startup Cluix, has seen how an idea can continue beyond the programme. A team he mentored from rural Bihar developed a filtration system to address arsenic contamination in water, won the challenge and went on to commercialise its product.

“They came from rural Bihar and, essentially, they could see that there was no solution available in the field. At a very young age, when they were just students, they developed a filtration system. That filtration system won the challenge, and now they have gone on to commercialise the product,” Singh said.

This year, Singh is mentoring SignBridge AI, a team working to help people with disabilities communicate more independently. He said, “I think this increases inclusivity in the society, and we need such solutions.”

Samridhi Bhardwaj, a founder working in women’s health, said access to technology has changed the relationship between geography and opportunity. “Students across India, including those in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, have access to technology and the kind of exposure that many of their peers and seniors did not have. So, I don’t think geography is a hindrance anymore. Any innovative solution can come from any part of India.”

For Ankit Garg, founder of clean-label food brand EemuMasale, local problems can have relevance well beyond the communities where they first emerge. “Stubble burning is not a local issue. It is a national challange that they are working to solve. They have seemingly developed a prototype that could also address nutrition in India by providing alternative protein options,” he said.

Half of the ideas in this year’s cohort came from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, according to Singh. He said, “The ideas that people are getting in tier 2 cities are sometimes even better than the ones that you see in tier 1 cities. The exposure has increased, and the application of such ideas has become better.”

The founders see mentorship as a way to help young innovators move from identifying a problem to developing and testing a solution. Samsung Solve for Tomorrow brings finalists together with startup founders, academia and industry, offering guidance and opportunities to develop their ideas.

Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is Samsung’s global innovation and education programme for young people. The 2026 edition marks its fifth year in India.

What if the agricultural waste left behind after every harvest could become a source of protein?

That is the question driving Nitish Kumar and Gulshan Kumar, two young students from Sonipat, Haryana, who are exploring how artificial intelligence and biotechnology can transform crop residue into sustainable protein.

Students at the National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM-K), Haryana, Nitish and Gulshan are the founders of Kinva Bio, a team among the Top 20 of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2026. Their idea addresses one of the biggest challenges facing the world’s food system: how to produce more nutritious food for a growing population without putting greater pressure on land and water.

Their solution starts with agricultural byproducts that are often treated as waste, including sugarcane bagasse. Kinva Bio uses fermentation, in which a fungal strain converts this biomass into protein. An AI-powered digital twin then helps the team predict protein production, allowing them to optimise the process and understand its potential at scale.

According to the team, the approach could use 98–99% less water, significantly reduce carbon emissions and require substantially less land than conventional protein production.

For the two young innovators, however, the journey has been about more than developing a scientific solution. It has been about learning how to turn an idea from the laboratory into something that can make a difference in the real world.

A global problem-solving platform, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow helps youth around the world use STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) to build a better future. Participants identify problems in their communities and develop creative solutions with the help of technology.

Who is the end user?

When Nitish and Gulshan started working on Kinva Bio, their focus was largely on the science behind their innovation.

“We were projecting our idea scientifically and without storytelling,” the team said.

Their experience at the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Bootcamp changed that perspective. Interacting with mentors, experts and fellow innovators exposed them to questions beyond the laboratory: Who is the end user? What problem are we solving? How do we communicate its impact? And what would it take to turn the idea into a viable startup?

“The biggest takeaway from the Bootcamp was the people we connected with and the exposure to the business environment,” they said.

The team began approaching their pitches differently. Instead of only explaining how their technology worked, they learnt to communicate why it mattered — to consumers, investors and society.

For Nitish and Gulshan, storytelling became more than a presentation skill. It changed the way they looked at Kinva Bio itself — from a scientific project to a potential business capable of creating real-world impact.

From Sonipat to the global food innovation stage

The team’s work had already begun attracting international attention.

The recognition offered the young innovators a glimpse of how far their idea could travel beyond the classroom and laboratory.

Their Samsung Solve for Tomorrow journey has since pushed them to think about the next questions: Who will use the solution? How can it be scaled? What would it take to build a user base? And how can an innovation rooted in biotechnology become a commercially viable solution?

As Kinva Bio moves towards the Grand Finale of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2026, Nitish and Gulshan are carrying with them an idea that began with a simple but consequential question: Can we produce more food while asking less of the planet?

For these young innovators from Sonipat, the answer could lie in bringing together AI, biotechnology and agricultural waste — and turning what was once considered residue into a building block for the future of food.