New Delhi, August 17, 2026: Samsung India has announced the Top 40 semi-finalist teams for the 2026 edition of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, its youth innovation programme focused on helping young people develop solutions to real-world challenges through mentorship, technology and prototyping.
The 40 teams represent 15 states and 26 cities, with more than half coming from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, including Guntur, Sundargarh, Coimbatore, Varanasi, Amritsar and Rajkot. The semi-finalists comprise 10 teams each across the programme’s four themes: AI Living for India, Health and Education, Environmental Sustainability, and Sport & Tech.
The selected teams are working on solutions including AI tools for small businesses and healthcare, accessible education technologies, agricultural residue management, cybersecurity, assistive technologies and inclusive sports. Examples include AIRMED from Guntur, which is developing an AI-based platform connecting overseas patients with Indian hospitals, and Code Blooded from Sundargarh, which is using AI to identify sporting talent among para-athletes in smaller cities and rural areas. AcoustiNode Systems from Thrissur is working on hydrological intelligence for dam management, while QuantHunt from Raebareli is addressing emerging cybersecurity risks.
“What stands out in this year’s Top 40 is how closely young people are looking at the world around them. They are identifying problems in their communities, classrooms, farms, businesses and playing fields, and asking how technology can make a difference. The fact that more than half of these teams come from Tier 2 and Tier 3 India is particularly encouraging because it shows that the next generation of innovation can emerge from anywhere. Our role through Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is to give these young innovators the mentorship, technology and opportunity to turn their ambition into impact. As Samsung completes 30 years in India, we want to continue investing in the ideas and talent that will shape the country’s next 30 years,” said SP Chun, Corporate Vice President, Samsung Southwest Asia.
The semi-finalists will receive a cumulative ₹8 lakh for prototype development, while every team member will receive a Samsung laptop. Of the 40 teams, 25 have already started developing prototypes. They will next participate in an Innovation Bootcamp from September, followed by training and mentoring with the Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT), IIT Delhi. The semi-final stage will conclude with a National Pitch Event, after which 20 teams will advance to the final stage.
“The transition from an interesting idea to a viable solution is often the most difficult part of the innovation journey. What is encouraging about this cohort is that 25 of the Top 40 teams have already started building prototypes. The next phase will challenge them to test their assumptions, learn from users, strengthen their technology and think more deeply about how their solutions can work at scale. That process of learning by building is fundamental to creating strong innovators,” said Dr Nikhil Agrawal, Managing Director, Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT), IIT Delhi.
The Top 20 teams will receive a cumulative ₹20 lakh for prototype enhancement and a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip smartphone for each team member. At the programme’s conclusion, the Top 4 teams will receive a cumulative grant of ₹2 crore for incubation at IIT Delhi.
Samsung Solve for Tomorrow was launched in India in 2022. For its 2026 edition, the programme conducted 184 Design Thinking Workshops across 135 cities before the Top 100 selection, expanding its outreach to young innovators beyond major urban centres.
 (19).png)
.JPG)
