vivo India has named Dheyay Shah of RMG Maheshwari English School, Surat, Gujarat, the national winner of vivo Ignite 2026, the fourth edition of its nationwide technology and innovation initiative for students in grades 8-12. His project, ‘JALAAKAR – The Shape of Water: Predict, Alert, & Act’, uses machine learning and historical groundwater data to estimate water availability and support informed water management.

The winner was announced at the vivo Ignite 2026 National Finale, held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on October 28. The event recognised the top 10 student projects for addressing real-world challenges through scientific thinking, creativity and problem-solving. The finalists comprised 13 students presenting eight individual and two group projects, with solutions spanning groundwater conservation, water safety, women’s online safety, road safety and assistive technologies. The programme offers scholarships and rewards worth up to Rs. 35 lakh*.

The fourth edition witnessed over 38,000 registrations from more than 12,000 schools, with students submitting over 6,100 ideas. Participation spanned more than 4,500 cities across 705 districts in all 28 states and eight Union territories, including 92 Aspirational Districts.

Geetaj Channana, chief corporate communications officer, vivo India, said, “We congratulate Dheyay Shah, the national winner and all the Top 10 finalists of vivo Ignite 2026 for their remarkable innovations. As we complete the fourth edition, the growing participation from over 12,000 schools across 705 districts reinforces the potential of vivo Ignite to become one of India’s largest school-level STEM innovation platforms. Our ambition is to build on this momentum by expanding our reach, particularly across government schools and Aspirational Districts, while strengthening mentorship and opportunities for students to take their ideas beyond the classroom. We envision vivo Ignite becoming India’s most credible school-level innovation platform, empowering young minds to transform their ideas into meaningful solutions and contribute to India’s long-term innovation ambitions.”

The finale brought together student innovators, educators, programme partners and other stakeholders. Attendees included Dr Panneerselvam Madanagopal, CEO, MeitY Startup Hub, Government of India; Ratnesh Jha, executive director, UN Global Compact Network India; and Dr M.J. Shankar Raman, CEO, IITM Pravartak Technologies Foundation, the Technology Innovation Hub of IIT Madras. The event was hosted by technology commentator Rajiv Makhni.

The finale also recognised 10 educators selected for the National Teacher Innovation Fellowship (NTIF), an extension of vivo Ignite that promotes innovative approaches to STEM education. Selected from over 200 applications across 14 states and 26 districts, the fellows were recognised for making science and technology education more practical, inclusive and engaging.

The top 10 student projects were evaluated by a jury of academicians and industry experts on creativity, scientific application, feasibility, cost-effectiveness and potential social impact.

The fourth edition was supported by IITM Pravartak Technologies Foundation, the Science Olympiad Foundation (SOF) and UN Global Compact Network India (UNGCNI) as knowledge partners, with Grant Thornton serving as process validator.

Top 10 student projects

Rank 1 — JALAAKAR – The Shape of Water: Predict, Alert, & Act: Developed by Dheyay Shah of RMG Maheshwari English School, Surat, Gujarat, the project combines historical borewell records, rainfall and soil data, and machine learning to estimate groundwater availability at the taluka level.

Rank 2 — JalRakshak: Predicting Borewell Failure Before It Happens: Developed by Vidyut Sundar and Shreyan Limaye of Dhirubhai Ambani International School, Mumbai, Maharashtra, the project uses borewell-specific time-series analysis to predict water-level declines by accounting for rainfall recharge and groundwater extraction.

Rank 3 — HydroPlastiNet: Developed by Anish Srinivas, Achyutha Pranav V Subramanian and Akhilesh Ram R of Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan Senior Secondary School, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, the project combines mechanical filtration with bentonite and activated charcoal to trap microplastics and adsorb dissolved pollutants.

Rank 4 — Project Unmuted – The Voice of Women: Developed by Anushka Bhattacharya of SNBP International School, Rahatani, Maharashtra, the platform combines AI, cybersecurity and secure data management to guide women facing cybercrime, drawing on existing deepfake-detection technology.

Rank 5 — Project IRIS (Infrared Reflective Interface System): Developed by Ayushman Choudhary of Bhavan’s B.P. Vidya Mandir, Ashti, Nagpur, Maharashtra, the project combines infrared reflectometry and inertial measurement to track eye direction and head movement, with potential applications in assistive technology.

Rank 6 — AVRODH (Automated Verification for Restricted Operator Descent into Hazard): Developed by Shaurya Dubey of Army Public School, Bareilly Cantt, Uttar Pradesh, the project uses safety interlocks, gas-threshold sensors, RFID-based presence detection and authorisation checks to help prevent unsafe entry into hazardous environments.

Rank 7 — Smart Device for Instant Helping during Vehicle Accidents: Developed by Abhinav Srivastava of SJS Shaktinagar, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh, the device uses sensors to detect potential vehicle accidents and can switch to a backup power source before initiating a voice call to emergency number 112.

Rank 8 — Project DrishtiBodh: LiDAR-Based Smart Safety Collar for the Visually Impaired: Developed by Jitesh Ladda of Scottish Academy, Parbhani, Maharashtra, the project uses LiDAR sensors to detect nearby obstacles and a microcontroller to trigger directional vibration alerts.

Rank 9 — AquaSentinel AI: Smart Fluoride Safety Device for Schools: Developed by Sai Adhrit Singh of Dr Virendra Swarup Education Centre, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, the device combines a colour-based chemical test, light sensing and an offline machine-learning model to estimate fluoride concentrations in water.

Rank 10 — Neuradrive: Movement for All: Developed by Advik Jain of The Emerald Heights International School, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, the project explores the use of electrooculography and electroencephalography signals to translate eye movements and brain activity into commands for assistive applications.

*Terms and conditions apply. The ₹35 lakh comprises scholarships and rewards for winners, runners-up and other participants.

For details, visit vivoignite.com

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