Samsung Solve for Tomorrow has engaged millions of young innovators worldwide over the past 15 years

Most innovation competitions end when the awards are handed out. For many participants of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, that is where the real journey begins.

Across four seasons of the programme in India, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow has evolved beyond a competition into an innovation ecosystem that continues to support young innovators through mentorship, incubation, research access and industry connections. The result is a growing network of young changemakers who are not only building solutions to real-world challenges but also taking them beyond prototypes and into communities.

At the heart of this journey is a simple belief: innovation can emerge from anywhere.

For Syed from Golaghat and Muqaddir from rural Assam, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow became the first platform that transformed ideas into reality.

“Even to build a prototype, no organisation was giving me a lab,” recalls Syed. “After applying to Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, by the end of the programme, we had a working prototype.”

What began as an effort to address water quality challenges has since evolved into six deployed pilot units, a collaboration with Mumbai-based Vasudeva Innovations on wastewater treatment solutions, and ongoing discussions with investors for pre-seed funding.

Muqaddir’s journey was equally rooted in solving a local challenge. Witnessing the impact of rising temperatures on tea garden workers, he developed a wearable cooling solution designed to reduce heat stress and improve worker well-being. His work has since earned recognition at national and international platforms, including the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards.

Yet both innovators point to something beyond funding or recognition.

“The mentors I met through Samsung Solve for Tomorrow are still guiding me today,” says Muqaddir. “The programme taught me that where you come from does not define what you can achieve.”

Hundreds of kilometres away in Punjab, another innovation journey was taking shape.

Abhishek Dhanda and his co-founder began developing a vermicomposting machine while still in Class 10. Their idea emerged from a challenge deeply familiar to communities across Punjab’s Malwa region: managing agricultural waste while restoring soil health after years of intensive farming.

Today, their venture, Prithvi Rakshak, is progressing through commercial prototyping under incubation at FITT, IIT Delhi, moving steadily towards real-world deployment.

For Aditi and her team in Gujarat, the inspiration came from polluted shorelines.

Concerned by growing marine waste, the team developed Sweep, a beach-cleaning robot designed to automate waste collection along coastlines. What began as a student project has since received recognition from the Government of Gujarat and is now advancing with AI-powered capabilities and potential manufacturing partnerships.

Perhaps one of the most remarkable examples of long-term impact is Anupriya’s journey.

At just 16 years old, she entered Samsung Solve for Tomorrow with an idea to create sustainable menstrual products using agricultural waste. The concept was designed to make menstrual hygiene products more affordable, accessible and environmentally sustainable for underserved communities.

Today, that idea has evolved into a direct-to-consumer venture while also supporting rural health resource centres in some of India’s most remote regions.

Her work has expanded even further. In collaboration with researchers at IIT Delhi, she is now developing a patented diagnostic technology that uses menstrual blood to identify early markers of conditions including endometriosis, hepatitis, ovarian cancer and cervical cancer.

“It is because of long-term support programmes like Solve for Tomorrow that we are able to build innovations that create meaningful change,” she says.

These stories represent a broader shift in how innovation is being nurtured in India.

Launched globally in 2010 and now active across 68 countries, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow has engaged millions of young innovators worldwide over the past 15 years. In India, the programme has steadily built partnerships with Startup India under DPIIT, MeitY Startup Hub and Atal Innovation Mission, creating pathways that help young innovators access mentorship, incubation and industry networks.

The impact is visible in communities across the country—from clean water solutions and sustainable healthcare innovations to environmental technologies and AI-powered systems.

As Samsung marks 30 years in India, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow reflects a long-term commitment to empowering young people to become problem-solvers, innovators and entrepreneurs.

Building on four successful seasons, Samsung has now opened applications for Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2026.

Young innovators aged 14-22 can apply across four themes: AI Living for India, Health and Education, Environmental Sustainability, and Sport and Tech.