#YouthIdeathon2024 #YoungInnovators #TeenEntrepreneurs #FutureLeaders
Excitement reached its peak on 11 th October, as the Youth Ideathon 2024 – India’s biggest platform for school students to showcase their entrepreneurial spirit, wrapped up with a spectacular finale at IIT Delhi. Over 1.8 lakh young innovators from 5,000+ schools across the country competed, with the Top 100 teen geniuses presenting their groundbreaking ideas in a gala celebration of creativity and innovation.
Organized by ThinkStartup and Management Entrepreneurship Professional Skills Council (MEPSC), in partnership with CBSE and IIT Delhi, Youth Ideathon is a one-of-a-kind competition for students from Classes 4 to 12. With each edition, this competition empowers a new generation of problem solvers and future entrepreneurs. The energy, passion, and brilliance on display at the event were nothing short of inspiring!
The event was honoured by the presence of Prof. Narayanan D Kurur, Dean (Academics) at IIT Delhi; R K Singh, CGM, SIDBI; Lt. Gen. A K Bhatt (Retd.), DG, ISpA; Sameep Shastri, Vice Chairman, BRICS CCI; Anku Jain, MD, MediaTek India; Agendra Kumar, MD, ESRI India; Dr Sanjay Gupta, VC, World University of Design; Rashmi Gupta, CAO, ESRI India; Ruby Sinha, Founder, SheAtWork.
The Jury members included Dr Anurag Batra, Chairman, Businessworld; Ashish Taneja, Managing Partner, GrowX; Nitin Agarwal, Founder, Global Bees, a Unicorn; Dr. Nikhil Agarwal, MD, FITT incubator at IIT Delhi; Ganesh Sahai, CTO, Nagarro.
The Top 6 teams selected for the INR 1 lakh per idea incubation grant were:
> Vidyashilp Academy, NIRI a water conservation business
> Sanskriti School, PadhAI, an affordable AI based multilingual affordable learning platform
> Lilawati Sr Sec School, New Delhi, an affordable clean air chimney solution for MSME
> ODM Public School, Bhubaneswar, Project Skymist, generates water from atmosphere on the concept of Peltier effect
> Army Public School, Kolkata, AI based homework checking and assessment solution
> Aditya Vidyashram Residential School, Puducherry, all in one solar powered car for agriculture
Special Award by SheAtWork
Significantly SheAtWork also presented a Special Award to Team FLIP FIT. Inspired by Youth Ideathon and guided by mentor Ms. Rashmeet Kaur, Team Flip Fit from Himalaya International School, Ratlam, participated with the tagline “The only flip you need.” Their innovative business revamps old clothes into trendy styles at low costs, catering to unique customer needs while promoting sustainability and reducing cloth pollution. By repurposing unused items, they make fashion accessible for all, supporting eco-friendly practices. The team comprised of: Diti Khabia, Navya Nahar, and Prinshika Pipada.
The event also featured innovative social experiments, such as collaboration with The Kid Company, where school students could list, sell, and raise investments for their ideas, fostering real-world business experience. The Top 100 teams got engaged into real entrepreneurship by selling their innovation and getting crowd funding of INR 40 lakh on The Kid Company platform.
Dr. Biswajit Saha, Director (Skill Education & Training), CBSE, Ministry of Education, Government of India, expressed his enthusiasm for the event, “The overwhelming response to Youth Ideathon 2024 is a testament to the entrepreneurial spirit of India’s young minds. CBSE is proud to support initiatives like this, which cultivate creativity, problem-solving skills, and an entrepreneurial mindset from a young age.”
Anil Pokhriyal, CEO, Management & Entrepreneurship and Professional Skills Council, emphasized the importance of nurturing entrepreneurial skills early on, “Youth Ideathon 2024 has proven that India’s school students are brimming with ideas and potential. Our role is to provide them with the right tools and opportunities to turn their ideas into reality. This competition is not just about innovation; it’s about building a stronger, self-reliant India driven by young entrepreneurs.”
Anku Jain, Managing Director, MediaTek, said “The Ideathon gives students the chance to experience the full journey of entrepreneurship, including ideation, pitching, prototyping, and even marketing their products at the expo. This holistic approach prepares them for future success.”
Ruby Sinha, Founder of www.sheatwork.com & Kommune Brand Communications observes that – “Student ‘entrepreneurs’ gathered here indeed, are impressive! Youth Ideathon has revealed that you don’t have to wait until after graduation to run your own business!! Navigating the path of a student entrepreneur can be both thrilling and challenging. So, to contribute to your aspiring young vision and help you make your Big Idea a reality, I think all the teams have got very real experience on how to be innovative and independent too.”
Shivani Singh-Kapoor, Co-founder, ThinkStartup, shared her thoughts on the event’s impact,
“Youth Ideathon continues to be a platform that not only promotes entrepreneurial thinking but also brings out the creativity and resourcefulness of students across India. With over 2 lakh participants this year, the response is overwhelming and confirms the hunger for innovation in our young generation.”
Sanjeeva Shivesh, Program Director, Youth Ideathon, reflected on the journey of the participants, “One of the best things about this platform is that as a competition there are many people who support us. At the top are PSEs, and then there is CBSE. And this year, IIT Delhi has vigorously agreed to the collaboration. More than 100 IIT PhD scholars are involved in the evaluation and assessment process of Youth Ideathon.”
The dedicated efforts created an enriching experience for all participants, reinforcing IIT Delhi’s commitment to fostering young talent and innovation. Mahindra University also motivated young budding entrepreneurs by announcing a one-week virtual incubation session for selected teams in June 2025. Special recognition was given to teachers, mentors, and schools that supported and encouraged participation.
The Youth Ideathon 2024 is supported by industry partners like Esri India, MediaTek and SheAtWork.
Content Team
