How Shiksha, the Robot Teacher Is Making Smart Learning Accessible to Rural Kids in Karnataka
8 November 2025
8 November 2025
In Sirsi village, Karnataka, Meet Shiksha – a humanoid robot dressed in a blue tunic – that teaches everything from rhymes to maths. It makes every child fall in love with learning.
The robot is the brainchild of 30-year-old Akshay Mashelkar, who grew up in Sirsi, Karnataka, watching his mother teach in rural schools.
It was during the pandemic when Akshay noticed how city schools used smart boards — while rural classrooms still relied on old charts. Determined to bridge this gap, he began designing an affordable robot.
In 2022, Shiksha was ready to teach in regional languages up to Class 4. It took Akshay 18 months and Rs 2 lakh of his savings to bring the robot to life. He even used toy cricket stumps for her arms.
“The robot has two main cards — the master card that unlocks it, and the normal card to start the desired programme. The teacher has to put the master card on Shiksha’s hand to start it, and then they can use the programme cards.” – Akshay
Teachers can make Shiksha sing rhymes, ask trivia, and teach in Kannada and English. She moves, talks, and interacts — turning every classroom into a little science lab.
In schools across Uttara Kannada, children eagerly await their turn with Shiksha. “She’s more like a friend than a robot,” says a teacher. Even educators say she eases their workload while sparking curiosity in science.
To nurture more innovators, Akshay started a mobile research centre where children can learn robotics for free. Over 200 students have already built small bots — proving that innovation truly begins with a spark of curiosity.
Akshay now aims to reduce its cost to Rs 35,000 so every rural school can afford one. Want to know more about Shiksha?
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