Samsung Brings Design Thinking to Erode, Helping Students Turn Ideas into Real-World Solutions

Samsung India brought its flagship innovation programme, Solve for Tomorrow, to Erode this week, equipping more than 230 students at Kongu Engineering College (KEC) with design thinking skills aimed at transforming ideas into solutions for real-world challenges.

The workshop forms part of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2026, Samsung India’s nationwide innovation programme that encourages young people aged 14-22 years to develop technology-driven solutions addressing challenges in artificial intelligence, health and education, environmental sustainability, and sport and technology.

Unlike conventional innovation programmes that focus primarily on product development, the Design Thinking Workshop encouraged students to first understand the people and communities they seek to serve, identify genuine challenges, and validate whether proposed solutions address real needs.

For many participants, the workshop offered a new perspective on innovation and entrepreneurship.

“Innovation is not just about thinking of an idea. It starts with understanding a real person’s problem and identifying what kind of solution would genuinely help them,” said Ragamrithika, a first-year engineering student at KEC.

Mohammad Atif, who had attended a previous Samsung Solve for Tomorrow session, said the workshop helped him better evaluate potential solutions and strengthened his interest in entrepreneurship. “It helped me understand what makes a solution truly relevant and impactful. After attending the session, I feel more motivated to begin my entrepreneurship journey,” he said.

The Erode workshop reflects Samsung’s continued efforts to nurture grassroots innovation and strengthen India’s future innovation ecosystem. Over the past four editions, more than 5,000 students from Tamil Nadu have participated in Samsung Solve for Tomorrow initiatives, while the programme has reached over 8,000 students across southern India.

This year, Samsung is conducting Design Thinking Workshops across 100 cities nationwide, providing young innovators with exposure to problem-solving frameworks, mentorship opportunities and innovation methodologies used by entrepreneurs and startups globally.

The programme will culminate with the top four winning teams receiving incubation grants worth INR 2 crore at FITT, IIT Delhi, enabling them to further develop and scale their innovations. Participants will also receive mentorship, training and prototyping support as they progress through the competition.

By bringing innovation and design thinking directly into classrooms and campuses, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow continues to empower young Indians to move beyond ideas and create solutions capable of addressing real societal challenges.

Applications for Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2026 remain open until July 3, 2026.