REVA University hosted an inspiring kick off ceremony celebrating innovation and future tech thinkers
A proud moment for India unfolded in Bengaluru, as five students from government schools are selected to represent India at the FIRST Global Challenge 2025, also known as the Robotics Olympics, which will take place in Panama City from October 29 to November 1, 2025. This was a momentous occasion for India.
At the kick-off ceremony, students explained the problem statement and solution they had been working on for months as they proudly unveiled and demonstrated their robot during the flag-off ceremony. Constructed under this year’s theme, “Eco Equilibrium,” the robot is intended to tackle practical environmental issues by encouraging habitat restoration and biodiversity preservation.
Under the direction of Gagan Goyal, General Partner at India Quotient and Co-Founder of the STEM Education Trust, whose goal is to democratize STEM education and make robotics “the next great equalizer” in education, the event celebrated not only innovation but also inclusion.
Gagan Goyal remarked, “These kids have been working nonstop for months.” They come from limited resources families with limitless aspirations. Their accomplishments are remarkable. We hope that this initiative will enable more Indian government school children to dream, build, and lead. This is the sport where everyone can become a professional changemaker.”
Their self-assured, proud, and emotional presentations inspired the audience and served as a potent reminder that creativity can flourish anywhere given the right conditions and guidance.
The team has spent months perfecting their design, overcoming technical obstacles, and testing their robot in real-world scenarios under the guidance of experts from The Innovation Story and the Amazon Future Engineer (AFE) Makerspace Lab.
Each member’s journey is a story of grit and discovery
· Ningaraj (16) – Mechanical lead, inspired by machines
· Parashuram (17) – IoT enthusiast and patient problem-solver
· Arjun (17) – Sportsperson turned innovator, known for discipline and teamwork
· Gouresh (15) – Lead programmer ensuring every part moves in perfect sync
· Chandan (14) – The youngest, a self-taught electronics prodigy
Together, they created a robot that exemplifies India’s unbounded capacity for ingenuity from the ground up as well as engineering prowess.
Through Atal Tinkering Labs and Amazon Future Engineer (AFE) Makerspace Labs, the STEM Education Trust has mentored hundreds of students in just three years, nurturing practical skills in design thinking, robotics, and coding. With complete financial and emotional support, the best is chosen annually to represent India internationally.
With STEM Hubs, Alumni Mentorship Networks, and innovation pipelines that can support thousands of government school students each year, Gagan sees this model growing across the country.
A 2023 Team India graduate from Goa, who came back to coach the new squad, added motivation to the flag-off. He revealed, “The competition is tough, four days of building and fixing under pressure.” “But the real win is the confidence you take home.”
Team India’s journey serves as a beacon for any child who has big dreams despite the obstacles as they travel to Panama to compete against 190 other nations. Through partnerships like FIRST Global Challenge and the STEM Education Trust, India is shaping a future where innovation rises from every classroom one child, one school, one robot at a time.
