From Tinkering in a Small Lab to Panama: How 5 Bengaluru Teens Are Taking India to the Global Robotics Stage

In a small lab tucked inside a government school in Bengaluru’s Malleshwaram, the sound of whirring motors fills the air. Five boys lean over a table scattered with wires and metal parts, their faces lit by the glow of a half-assembled robot. The clock has long crossed school hours, but they don’t seem to notice.

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In just a few days, this very robot will travel with them to Panama, where they’ll represent India at the FIRST Global Challenge 2025, often called the ‘Olympics of Robotics’.

Their journey began in classrooms where chalk dust, not circuit boards, was the norm. Their parents work as housekeepers, garment workers, and technicians — families that never imagined their children would one day build machines that might carry the tricolour on a world stage.

The spark that changed everything

It started inside the Atal Tinkering Lab at their school in Malleshwaram. Among half-used batteries and broken sensors, the five spent hours learning the basics of robotics, coding, and AI. What began as an after-school curiosity soon became something they couldn’t let go of.

The turning point came when they found the Amazon Future Engineer Makerspace Lab, run by ‘The Innovation Story’ — a free space in Bengaluru that helps students like them learn through hands-on mentoring. For these boys, it opened a door they hadn’t known existed.

“When we were selected as Team India, it was a proud moment,” says Ningaraj, a Class 11 student from Government PU College, Malleshwaram. His voice carries both excitement and disbelief, as if he’s still trying to believe it himself.

“We’ve played many sports,” laughs Gouresh K, the team’s lead programmer, “but the true joy comes when something we build actually works.”

The Government School ATL Lab, 18th Cross, Malleshwaram, has made us all proud! Their students' project has been selected for the prestigious First Global Challenge — an Olympic-style robotics competition (9th edition to be held in Panama).

Now representing India, these talented… pic.twitter.com/pMxuG6ISmU

— Dr. C.N. Ashwath Narayan (@drashwathcn) June 15, 2025

The road to Panama

Every year, the FIRST Global Challenge (FGC) invites one team from each country to compete in a robotics contest inspired by real-world problems. “It is one of the biggest robotics competitions in the world, where nearly 200 countries come together to build robots that solve environmental and social problems,” says Saieesh Gandhi from STEM Education Trust, the national organiser who oversaw the Indian team’s selection.

He explains that FGC isn’t just about competing — it’s also about collaboration and learning. “The competition has multiple rounds. There’s the robot performance round, where teams showcase how their robot executes the year’s challenge. There’s a knowledge and innovation round, where they discuss their design process, and a communication and collaboration segment where teams from different countries work together,” he shares.

This year’s theme, ‘Eco-Equilibrium’, focuses on biodiversity and ecological balance. The Bengaluru team designed their robot to mirror these values — performing tasks that mimic ecosystem stability, from collecting and launching balls into specific zones to finishing with a rope-climbing challenge that demands precision and timing.

Built entirely from the components provided by FGC, the robot took six months to perfect. Once in Panama, it will be tested for compliance. What makes it special is its versatility — it can handle different-sized balls, shoot them up to three metres high, and climb two metres of rope with accuracy.

“It’s a complex task,” says Gandhi. “But this team stood out for their curiosity, spirit, and the way they learned from every failure.”

Five friends and one dream

When mentor Akhil Arun Menon from The Innovation Story first met them, he realised the biggest challenge wasn’t the technology — it was teamwork.

“All five are friends, but my biggest challenge was getting them to work together on the same task,” Akhil recalls. “They all wanted to do the same things, but each one is different.”

He soon saw their strengths come alive. Gouresh, a natural programmer, took charge of coding. G N Chandan Raj, patient with circuits, handled electronics. Ningaraj, who had helped a local carpenter, became the mechanical designer. The artists — Arjun and Parashuram — turned sketches into CAD drawings that guided every prototype.

“Every iteration that we have done, Parashuram has drawn the sketches, and Arjun has turned them into CAD designs,” says Akhil.

The lab became their world. They often stayed back after classes, sometimes skipping breaks to test new parts. “Our friends are helping us,” says Arjun. “They’re sending notes, keeping a tab of all the classes we missed. They’re helping us.”

Behind every achievement lay unseen hours — small victories, burnt wires, and bursts of laughter when the robot finally worked.

Finding their voices

The most remarkable transformation, says Saieesh, has been personal. He watched the boys grow “from very shy, Kannada-speaking students to now confident, English-speaking, fluent kids.”

That confidence shows as they collaborate with teams from around the world. “As of now, we have competed with 30 teams online, and we have been very friendly with them,” says Gouresh.

Ningaraj adds proudly, “Most of the teams chose Team India as their favourite team because of the hospitality and friendliness that we bring.”

Their dreams have evolved, too. “In my childhood, getting a job in an IT company was a great thing for my parents. Now, I want to be the best mechanical engineer in Bangalore,” says Ningaraj.

Arjun, once drawn to medicine, now dreams of becoming a civil engineer. Gouresh hopes to be an entrepreneur and holds close what his mentors taught him: “Live in the present, don’t think of tomorrow. That’s the ideology I’ve learnt from my mentors.”

Lessons for every classroom

Their journey, they say, is proof that learning can be exciting if students are given the right tools. “Every school should include the basics of robotics just like a PT period; it should be something fun and engaging,” suggests Gouresh.

They believe mentorship changes everything. “We need mentors who can teach in a way that helps students understand both practically and theoretically,” the team adds.

For Akhil, the pride runs deeper. “Above all, it was their hunger and curiosity to learn that made everything come together,” he says. “I’m certain that once this is over, they’ll make it to the top engineering colleges.”

From a small lab to the world stage

It’s hard to imagine that this global journey began in a single classroom in Malleshwaram. But every wire they soldered, every motor they fixed, carried a piece of that dream forward.

In a world where innovation often feels distant from government schools, these five students have built more than a robot — they’ve built a symbol of what access and encouragement can achieve.

As Akhil puts it, “If we can nurture talent like this in every government school, imagine how much potential our country holds. These kids are proof that brilliance has no postcode.”

For the boys, this isn’t just a competition — it’s the first time they’ll step out of their classrooms and into the world. They’ve built a robot that carries months of trial, teamwork, and quiet perseverance. Now, they need a little help to carry it — and their dreams — to Panama.

The team is raising funds to cover travel, visas, stay, training, and outreach back home. Every contribution, big or small, helps five government school students represent India at the Olympics of Robotics — and shows that opportunity should never depend on privilege.

You can help them get there. Contribute here to support Team India’s journey to the FIRST Global Challenge 2025.

All images courtesy Saieesh Gandhi