World Environment Day: Meet the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Changemakers Creating Solutions for a Better Planet

As the world comes together to celebrate World Environment Day, Samsung India is shining a spotlight on a new generation of innovators who are tackling some of the planet’s most pressing challenges through technology, creativity and purpose.

Through Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, Samsung’s flagship CSR programme, young innovators across India are transforming ideas into impactful solutions that address environmental sustainability, waste management, resource conservation and public health. Their innovations demonstrate how technology can become a powerful force for positive change.

Among these inspiring changemakers is Team Udaan, winners of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2022. Comprising Prisha Dubey, Anupriya Nayak and Vanalika Konwar, the team developed eco-friendly, affordable and washable sanitary pads made from shredded sugarcane bagasse, an agricultural byproduct often discarded as waste.

Team Udaan

By converting agricultural residue into a sustainable menstrual hygiene solution, Team Udaan addressed two critical challenges simultaneously reducing environmental waste and improving access to affordable menstrual products for women, particularly in underserved communities.

A year later, another group of young innovators brought environmental technology to India’s coastlines. Aditi Japariya, Harshil Mistry and Vaibhav Gupta from NIT Surat developed ‘Sweep’, an automated beach-cleaning robot that can detect, identify and segregate waste based on recyclability.

Designed to operate autonomously across difficult terrain, Sweep aims to improve the efficiency of beach-cleaning operations while helping protect marine ecosystems from the growing threat of plastic and other waste materials.

Team Sweep

The spirit of innovation continued in Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2025, where three Class 12 students from Ludhiana, developed ‘Prithvi Rakshak’—a smart vermicomposting system that transforms organic waste into valuable resources.

Created by Abhishek Dhanda, Prabhkirat Singh and Rachita Chandok, the solution uses sensors, modular compartments and intelligent controls to reduce composting time from nearly 90 days to around 30 days. The system produces nutrient-rich vermicompost, organic liquid fertilizer and compost sticks, making sustainable waste management practical for homes, farms and urban communities alike. “Our biggest learning was that empathy can be a design tool,” says Rachita Chandok.

Team Prithvi Rakshak

Beyond waste management, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow has also supported innovations focused on one of humanity’s most essential resources—clean water. Teams such as Eco Tech Innovator and METAL developed solutions aimed at improving access to safe drinking water and removing arsenic contamination from groundwater, earning incubation support to further advance their technologies.

Together, these innovators represent the core philosophy of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow: empowering young people to solve real-world problems through technology and entrepreneurship.

The programme continues to provide mentorship, incubation support and access to experts, enabling promising ideas to evolve into scalable solutions with the potential to create meaningful social and environmental impact.

As we mark World Environment Day, the journeys of these young innovators serve as a reminder that the solutions to some of our biggest environmental challenges may already be taking shape in classrooms, colleges and communities across India.

At Samsung, we remain committed to nurturing the next generation of changemakers whose ideas can help build a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable future for all.

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.