Chennai: More than 250 students from across the city presented prototypes addressing real-world challenges, including sustainable agriculture and road safety, at an ideation and innovation event hosted by Anna University's Centre for Entrepreneurship Development (CED) on Thursday.
Projects included sustainable bricks made from recycled plastic, water-gel solutions for farming in arid lands and AI-enabled systems to prevent drunk driving. According to director of CED G S Mahalakshmi, this initiative is not just about developing ideas. "It's about giving students access to resources they might not otherwise get, such as cash rewards, mentorships, and opportunities to intern with startups. We want them to gain hands-on experience."
The state's school education department has instructed govt, govt-aided, and private schools to set up innovation clubs. "Climate change, for example, is an urgent topic, and students must be encouraged to think of solutions. I urge you to keep innovating," school education secretary S Madhumathi told students.
For some students, inspiration came from challenges they observed close to home. Megha R, a Class VIII student from a govt-aided school in Kallakurichi, developed a prototype for an automated recycling machine. "I noticed so much waste was not recycled properly, so I thought, what if a machine could automatically sort and recycle it? This competition helped me refine my idea and focus on practical applications," she said.
To further support young innovators, the state's Entrepreneurship Development and Innovation Institute has expanded its School Innovation and Development Project (SIDP) to include govt school students of Classes VI to XII. "More students are pitching ideas, and we're even seeing demand from younger students," said EDII director R Ambalavanan.
Ambalavanan also plans to collaborate with Anna University on an innovation programme for private schools, building on the SIDP model, which has reached more than 1.2 million govt school students. "Our goal is to provide sustained support and resources to young innovators, with guide teachers in schools to help students navigate problem-solving and prototype development."