Young Innovators

When dust from a nearby threshing machine filled her classroom, a Class 8 student asked a simple question. Years later, that moment took her from a village school in Uttar Pradesh to Tokyo, with a solution farmers can actually use.

In a little Bengaluru village, children run a 5,000-book library that now brings 250 young readers together. They manage everything from lending to lessons, turning a simple room into a space where children learn, teach, and grow with the support of one another.

When Nikhil watched his grandma miss her medicines, he decided to find a way to make life easier for her. Years of experimenting, learning, and building led him to a mission that has already supported 20,000 elders. As part of The Better India’s Children’s Day series, this Class 12 student writes a letter to India’s youth.

When a canal breach left her Delhi neighbourhood without water, 18-year-old Mannat saw firsthand how fragile urban water systems can be. As part of The Better India’s Children’s Day series, she writes to the Indian authorities about her journey and her innovation — a Bilge Vessel and Scupper Valve system designed to recycle greywater at the household level.

Class 12 student Sharanya Mehta developed a smart, voice-enabled irrigation app using soil sensors, satellite data, and farmer insights. Her Decision Support System is helping farmers in Mandaura save water, reduce diesel use, and improve crop health.

From a terrace workshop and 24 prototypes to 10,000 homes across 20 states, Uday Bhatia’s Rs 250 inverter bulb is helping rural families study, work, and live with dignity even during long power cuts.

At Deep Griha Academy, students in Classes 7 and 8 are learning soil science hands-on and helping neighbouring farmers through a soil testing project. With rapid test kits, farmers get actionable data on pH, nutrients, organic carbon and more — improving yields and reducing fertiliser waste.