(Left to right) Shubham Mukherjee, Head of CSR & Corporate Communication at Samsung Southwest Asia; Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, MeitY; JB Park, President & CEO, Samsung Southwest Asia; Shombi Sharp, United Nations Resident Coordinator in India; Prof Rangan Banerjee, Director, IIT Delhi; Dr Sapna Poti, Senior Director, Office of Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India

Samsung, India’s largest consumer electronics brand, unveiled the fourth iteration of its Samsung ‘Solve for Tomorrow’ initiative – a nationwide contest designed to inspire students to create innovative solutions to address some of society’s most pressing challenges by leveraging technology.

Samsung ‘Solve for Tomorrow 2025’ will provide INR 1 crore to the top four winning teams to support the incubation of their projects, along with hands-on prototyping, investor connects, and expert mentorship from Samsung leaders and IIT Delhi faculty.

This recognition highlights the significance of nurturing solutions that not only excel in the competition but also transcend it, ultimately evolving into scalable and sustainable ventures that will play a pivotal role in shaping communities across India.

The programme, spanning six months, invites students aged 14-22 to submit their tech ideas as either individuals or groups. This year, participants are encouraged to create solutions across four key themes: AI for a Safer, Smarter, and Inclusive Bharat; Future of Health, Hygiene, and Well-being in India; Social change through Sports and Tech for Education and Better Futures; and Environmental Sustainability via Technology.

“With Solve for Tomorrow, we are inspiring young innovators across every corner of India to dream big, tackle real-world challenges, and shape a smarter, more inclusive future through technology. This year, Solve for Tomorrow is going to be even bigger and more inclusive. We are reaching more cities, engaging students from more schools and colleges, and creating avenues for them to innovate, while applying the principles of design thinking. Solve for Tomorrow stands as a testament to our unwavering commitment to the Government of India’s pioneering #DigitalIndia initiative that empowers our youth to become architects of the future,” said JB Park, President & CEO, Samsung Southwest Asia.

“IIT Delhi is excited about fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and real-world problem solving among youth. Our collaboration with Samsung Solve for Tomorrow offers mentorship, research infrastructure, and technical guidance to help the young turn their ideas into products that impact society. We are delighted to be part of this initiative that enables socially conscious innovation and contributes to Viksit Bharat,” said Prof Rangan Banerjee, Director, IIT Delhi.

“India’s young innovators are at the heart of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and realizing the vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047. With more young minds to tap solutions than any country ever before, India is uniquely positioned to lead with ideas that address local challenges and inspire global change. Initiatives like Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow provide a vital platform for young people to turn their ideas into solutions for the global good, using technology to drive inclusive and sustainable progress. The UN in India is proud to support such collaborations, especially with the private sector, that uplift youth leadership, innovation, and action, ensuring that we leave no one behind,” said Shombi Sharp, United Nations Resident Coordinator in India.

“Young people hold the key to solving today’s most urgent global challenges. Initiatives Iike Solve for Tomorrow 2025 empower them to turn their ideas into reality using technology. We are excited to see solutions that help scale youth-led ideas to drive real change across communities,” said Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY).

The fourth iteration of Samsung India’s flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative aims to involve thousands of participants, offering more than 82,000 hours of extensive training in Design Thinking, Hands-on Prototyping, Go-to-Market Strategies, and Business Planning. In the final phase, teams selected as finalists will benefit from specialized training and mentorship provided by Samsung, IIT Delhi, and industry professionals.

‘Solve for Tomorrow 2025’ was inaugurated at IIT Delhi in the presence of all partners on Tuesday. Present at the event were Dr Sapna Poti, Senior Director, Office of Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Shardul Rao, Scientist C, Department of Science & Technology, Government of India and P. S. Madanagopal, CEO, MeitY Startup Hub.

From ideas to impact: Programme stages

The application window for the initiative will be open from April 29 to June 30, 2025. During this period, Samsung will host immersive design-thinking workshops in schools and colleges across the nation, empowering participants with essential problem solving and ideation skills.

After the initial application phase, the top 100 teams will be chosen, with 25 teams selected from each of the themes. At this stage, participants will undergo online training led by thematic experts, followed by a video pitch round where 40 teams will be shortlisted – 10 teams from each theme.

The top 10 semi-finalist teams from each theme will then progress to an intensive mentorship program guided by Samsung’s industry veterans and subject matter experts. These teams will also participate in curated learning visits to Samsung’s state-of-the-art facilities, including the Samsung R&D Institute India in Bengaluru, Noida, and Delhi, as well as Samsung Design Delhi, offering them first-hand exposure to world-class innovation ecosystems.

This phase will culminate in an experiential, hands-on Prototyping Programme at Delhi’s state-of-the-art labs, in collaboration with ‘Solve for Tomorrow’ alumni. There will also be a Residential Bootcamp focused on refining ideas and preparing for the final pitch. The top 20 teams will be finalized after this phase, with five teams from each theme advancing to the grand finale. These top five teams from each theme will receive exclusive one-on-one mentoring sessions with Samsung experts. They will participate in a Prototyping Day, Pitch Presentation, Investor Meet, and Awards Ceremony, all held over the last three days of the competition.

What is in it for the participants

The top 100 teams will receive certificates of achievement. The top 40 teams will receive INR 8 lakh and the latest Samsung laptops for every member. The top 20 will receive with INR 20 lakh and the latest Samsung ZFlip smartphones for each member.

In addition, special awards include the Goodwill Award, Young Innovator Award, and Social Media Champion, with a total prize amount of INR 4.5 lakh.

The four winning teams will collectively receive a grant of INR 1 crore for incubation at IIT Delhi, providing substantial resources to accelerate their innovative projects. This funding aims to nurture their ideas into reality.

First launched in the US in 2010, ‘Solve for Tomorrow’ is currently operational in 68 countries globally and has seen over 3 million young people participate worldwide.

The Global CSR vision of Samsung Electronics – ‘Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People’ – is determined to provide education to young people around the world and empower them to become the leaders of tomorrow. Read more stories on Samsung Electronics’ CSR efforts on our CSR webpage https://csr.samsung.com/en-in/localMain.do

Samsung India today announced top 50 teams in its Gen-Z education and innovation competition ‘Solve for Tomorrow’. The youth competition, which is running for the first time in India, has seen teams from across the country respond and submit ideas to help tackle problems that India faces in the areas of education, environment, healthcare and agriculture.

In the end of the competition, three national winners stand a chance to get mega support of up to INR 1 crore and mentoring support for six months to take their ideas to the next level under the expert guidance of IIT Delhi.

Entrants who have applied to the competition have taken inspiration for their innovations from all areas of society, including events from the past year, with ideas looking to tackle waste management, electricity and water wastage, plastic waste in the oceans, speech disorders, farm rodents as well as pandemic prediction and creating an affordable ECG device. Many of the solutions that the teams suggested will use new-age technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence and augmented reality.

Among the top 50 teams, 62% want to solve problems of healthcare, 22% want to tackle challenges around environment, 10% are focused on problems around agriculture while 6% want to solve issues around education.

Solve for Tomorrow got over 18,000 registrations from youth across cities, towns and villages who are eager to turn their ideas into action. Ideas have come in from across the country, including small towns, showcasing the innovation and entrepreneurial spirit of Bharat.

The chosen 50 teams, with youth aged between 16-22, are now through to the next phase of ‘Solve for Tomorrow’, where they will be further developing their ideas. With the support and expertise of Samsung’s knowledge partner Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT) at IIT Delhi, the 50 teams will be mentored to help enhance their ideas.

In this phase, they will get training on the design thinking concept through online courses as well as at a bootcamp at IIT Delhi. Each of the 50 teams will also be assigned a campus buddy from IIT Delhi during the three-day bootcamp.

Over two days at IIT Delhi, seasoned experts will guide the teams on how to build their first prototype and effectively pitch their ideas in front of an expert Samsung jury on Day 3. The jury will select the top 10 teams for the final pitch event in November 2022.

“At Samsung, we empower and support the next generation to achieve their full potential and pioneer positive social changes. The Solve for Tomorrow program supports the journey of future young innovators by offering them guidance, support and a vision for creating a better tomorrow. We are excited about the 18,000 plus registrations we have received. The top 50 teams we have selected will move to the next phase of the competition and we are keen to see how their ideas shape up going forward, contributing to Powering Digital India,” said Mr. Partha Ghosh, Vice President, Corporate Citizenship, Samsung India.

Along with the bootcamp, the top 50 teams will also be given a certificate of participation and vouchers worth INR 100,000 for online courses in design thinking, STEM, innovation, leadership, among others.

“Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow initiative will help strengthen the innovation ecosystem of India. Such platforms are important for creating innovators in the country. It is amazing to see young minds come up with ideas that solve the problems in different parts of the country. We are optimistic that Solve for Tomorrow will empower Indian youth to create a sustainable future,” said Prof. Rangan Banerjee, Director, IIT Delhi.

Samsung India announced the launch of the inaugural edition of Solve for Tomorrow in June, aiming to provide a stage for India’s brightest young minds to come up with innovative ideas that can transform the lives of people and communities around them.

The top 10 teams will get the opportunity to visit Samsung India offices and its R&D centers where they will interact with young Samsung employees and researchers. They will also experience the Samsung product ecosystem at the iconic Samsung Opera House in Bengaluru.

Samsung, India’s most trusted and desired smartphone brand, has launched a new ‘Make for India’ innovation called AltZLife that will further enhance your smartphone privacy level.

The feature has been developed following deep consumer insights that smartphone users are seeking greater privacy, as they transition into an enhanced digital life using their mobile devices.

Samsung smartphone users can quickly and easily switch between normal mode and private mode (Secure Folder) by simply double clicking on the power key. The on-device AI function also intelligently suggests moving private content to the Secure Folder.

The AltZLife feature will be available to existing as well as new users of Galaxy A71 and Galaxy A51 through a software update on August 10, 2020.

“An industry first innovation, this intelligent feature has been designed keeping in mind the inherent need of consumers, especially Gen Z, for enhanced privacy when it comes to storage and access of content on their smartphones. This helps eliminate the anxiety that consumers usually face while also sharing their smartphones with someone,” Manu Sharma, Senior Director, Mobile Business, Samsung India, said.

According to a research conducted by Samsung, 79% of Gen Z consumers admit to having content such as images, applications and private chats on their smartphones that they do not want family or others to see. In addition to this, they also want to hide the fact that they have things they do not want to share.

The two ‘Make for India’ solutions that are part of AltZLife – Quick Switch and Content Suggestions – have been developed by a team of young engineers at Samsung R&D Institutes in Bangalore and Noida using insights from consumer research.

As part of Samsung’s ‘Make for India’ initiative, Samsung R&D centres in the country work on India-centric innovations based on deep consumer insights.

Samsung had launched other AI-based ‘Make for India’ features on Galaxy A series devices earlier this year. This includes Alive Intelligence, which offers Multilingual Keyboard, Smart Crop, Useful Cards and Finder. AltZLife takes the endeavor forward to make the consumer’s interaction with their Galaxy A series more intelligent, intuitive and secure.

How does AltZLife work?

AltZLife comes with two features—Quick Switch and Content Suggestions—which help provide a private and secured experience to consumers. The on-device AI solution allows all processing to take place within the device, and does not require interaction with any server or cloud.

Quick Switch

Our research shows consumers tend to have some aspects of their digital life—private and public—which they like to keep discrete and separate from each other. Quick Switch helps users in switching between two instances of the same app instantly – one instance in normal mode and the other in private mode. For example, a consumer can easily move between the normal Gallery and a private Gallery; or from a normal WhatsApp to private WhatsApp with a simple double click of the power button. The private versions of these apps are secured by Samsung Knox in the Secure Folder of Galaxy smartphones.

When a user double clicks on the power button in normal mode, authentication is required before entering the private mode of the same app. This authentication is different from normal unlocking of the smartphone. When switching from private to normal mode, no authentication is required. Quick Switch is also useful even if the application does not have dual instances in private and normal mode.

Content Suggestions

Content Suggestions is an AI-based app inside the Secure Folder, and its on-device AI-powered engine automatically suggests users to move private images of pre-selected categories to the Secure Folder. For this to happen users have to simply select specific faces or a type of image they want to tag as private and keep them secured in the private gallery of the Secure Folder.

Once the initial setup is complete, the AI engine kicks in and identifies relevant images from the entire gallery. As this is an on-device AI solution, no information or image ever leaves the smartphone.

Your Galaxy Watch offers immense possibilities in managing health, digital detox and increasing productivity at a time when remote working is the buzzword. Here are some pro tips to extract the most out of your Galaxy Watch.

Healthy Lifestyle

Your Galaxy Watch encourages you to form healthy habits round the clock with action-based insights. Packed with powerful range of sensors, Samsung Health on your Galaxy Watch is your personal health adviser, automatically tracking and detecting 39 workouts. The ‘Daily Activity’ widget provides all health goals (calories, steps, exercise time, active time) snapshot in a single screen. You can also monitor your stress levels regularly and the in-built guided breathing exercise can help in restoring the energy levels.

Harish Bishnoi: Your Galaxy Watch encourages you to form healthy habits

To improve healthy lifestyle, Samsung Health comes with a widget, where you can log and monitor your water and caffeine intake. This is a sure shot way of preventing yourself against unnecessary snacking and keeping your body hydrated.

Also Read: Heartbeats from Himalayas and Steps in Spain – Travel and Stay Fit Millennial Style

The Galaxy Watch also prompts you to get going, when you lost track of time in the midst of back-to-back conference calls. With the sleep tracker, you can analyze your sleep quality and the automated ‘Daily Briefing’ notifications are a bonus for all users. To top it all, your Galaxy Watch now comes with the popular ‘Hand Wash’ app that prompts you to clean your hands, a key preventive attribute to stay safe.

Digital Detox

With your Galaxy Watch, you get notifications for a wide range of activities –calls, messages, reminders, news – all at the flick of your wrist, but with limited interaction to the smartphone screen. This is a big step to regulate screen time and avoid distractions, enabling you to focus on work and also spend quality time with your family. The Goodnight Mode on your Galaxy Watch prevents disturbances while you are sleeping and the ‘Do Not Disturb’ feature mutes alerts and keeps screen off at scheduled times.

Higher Productivity

With the SmartThings App, you can switch on TV or the lights, control temperature, start scenes or automations with a simple command from the wrist. The Bixby Smart Assistant helps in being productive through simple voice commands, making it easy to initiate calls, send messages, create reminders, and monitor health performances.

Also Read: A Day With My Galaxy: How to Get the Best Out of It

In the stand-alone mode – and connected to LTE mobile network – you can use your Galaxy Watch to take calls and get messages even when the phone is not in connectivity range. You can leave your phone at home, but still go out for those long morning walks, listening to great music and without worrying about missed calls.

[The author of this article Harish Bishnoi, is Director, IoT & Product Analytics at Samsung Research Institute – Bangalore]

by YH Lee

For every brand, generational change is a big challenge. Who is this new generation? What motivates them? How are they different from the rest of the population? Right now, we have to get ready for Gen Z, a generation of young people born after 1996 who are now joining the global workforce and have become an important group of consumers.

Most people I speak to are surprised when I tell them that Gen Z already numbers nearly two-and-a-half billion people. That’s more than the much-discussed Millennials. For us at Samsung, generational change is nothing new. We are in our 50^th year as a company, and truly understanding consumers – their wants, needs and aspirations – has always been at the heart of our innovation. The way I see it, Samsung is not so much about the technology we create; rather, it’s about giving people the tools they need to do what they can’t.

Still, with every generation, we have to rethink how we can make that happen. After all, the relationship between brands and consumers is constantly changing, so we have to ask ourselves: what do we need to do to remain relevant?

A Generation of Dreamers

Every generation is unique in its own way, and Gen Z is no different. But I thought it would be useful to share some of our insights into this new generation, because I believe that their values and their motivations are very close to what Samsung stands for.

We started our research by asking who Gen Z are. Yes, they are highly diverse and unique, but what have they got in common that drives them? What do they value the most? We did surveys, and we spoke to many of them directly, really listening to what they had to say.

What we learned is that Gen Z is a very resilient generation. They’ve grown up during an economic downturn and global crises – but they haven’t given up hope. In fact, they are determined to change the world for the better.

So, they are dreamers, but they are dreamers with purpose. They know what they want and are passionate in what they stand for, and they expect the same from brands. They dream big, and we must dream with them.

The Era of ‘Storyliving’  

For this new generation of change-makers, it isn’t enough for brands to simply have great products or services. Gen Z cares about a brand’s values and how they measure up against their own. Seventy-seven percent of them believe that ‘doing good’ should be an integral part of running a business. This means that brands can no longer just focus on storytelling, for this is the era of ‘storyliving.’

Here at Samsung, we’ve had to really consider how our own values match up.

Gen Z is a generation that dreams of defying barriers – and so do we. “Do What You Can’t” is our rallying cry. It embodies what we stand for as a brand, and I think that resonates perfectly with the Gen Z outlook.

With a mindset of relentless innovation, we continue to seek out new opportunities to create experiences that can change people’s lives.

This is about so much more than just technology. It’s about the value we deliver. Whether that’s with the Be Fearless virtual reality app, which helps people tackle their deepest fears, such as a fear of public speaking or height anxiety, to the Samsung Blind Cap, which enables Paralympic swimmers to receive cues from their trainers indicating when to flip at the end of their lane.

Defying Barriers

Gen Z are mankind’s first true digital natives. They don’t know a life without the internet, and using technology is completely natural to them. I find that very exciting, because I really do believe that they are going to unlock the potential of our technology like no generation before.

They are going to use technology to reach new heights, and we are going to be right there with them on that journey. 

We connect with them by helping them succeed. And that starts with what we do best: listening and understanding. We want to help them achieve their potential with whatever tool, skill or lifehack they need.

But Gen Z is about as diverse as can be, and Samsung is a global brand that must cater to the individual on an international scale. In every region, country and even community, we take our core values and apply them on a local level to address specific needs. 

In Kings Cross, London, an exciting project is underway that really showcases what this looks like.

Samsung is creating a new space in an area that has already undergone big changes, leaving some locals feeling disconnected. We want to help – not by prescribing solutions, but by listening and helping where there’s a need. That’s why I don’t see Samsung Kings Cross as a store, but as a hub of culture, innovation and learning. We’re even recruiting staff that can speak all the different languages found in the local community – including British Sign Language, because there is a large school for the deaf nearby.

We will listen to this new generation, and we will help them drive positive change, achieve their potential, be responsible citizens, and dream… with purpose.

Our goal is to be an authentic, relevant brand that resonates with Gen Z. I’m confident that we can do that, because social purpose has always been a part of Samsung’s DNA.

The writer is Global CMO of Samsung Electronics

* This editorial is based on YH Lee’s address at Cannes Lions 2019.