Team Singularity from Gopalan International School, Karnataka, and Team Ferrum Incubators from Cambridge School, Noida, won the junior and senior titles, respectively, at the Robotics for Good Youth Challenge India 2026-2027 in New Delhi on Saturday.
The two teams will represent India at the global grand finale during the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, Switzerland, in June 2027.
The competition was held on the sidelines of India Mobile Congress 2026 at Yashobhoomi. It was organised by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, with support from the I-Hub Foundation for Cobotics (IHFC), the Technology Innovation Hub of IIT Delhi.
A flagship initiative under ITU’s AI for Good programme, the challenge brought together 57 teams—28 in the junior category and 29 in the senior category—with around 300 students and mentors from 14 states.
Students aged 10 to 18 designed, built and programmed autonomous robots for a public health emergency response mission linked to United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3, Good Health and Well-being. Tasks included sample extraction and delivery, construction of a quarantine zone, medical-kit distribution and medical triage.
In the senior category, Team Mech Minds from Lions Calcutta Greater Vidya Mandir, West Bengal, finished as first runner-up, followed by Team Botics Alpha from Vidya Pratishthan’s Magarpatta City Public School, Maharashtra.
In the junior category, Team Veda Velocity from MSB Education Institute, Pune, secured the first runner-up position, while Team Vajra from IgnAlte Robotics LLP, Uttar Pradesh, finished second runner-up.
Special awards were also presented for design, innovation and creative thinking.
The competition began with registrations from August 10 to 25. Teams attended awareness and orientation programmes from September 7 to 16 and submitted design documents and videos for the preliminary round.
A practice session on October 9 allowed participants to test their robots on the competition game board, identify difficulties and refine their strategies. The national competition on October 10 comprised two qualifying rounds, a knockout round and the final.
The initiative encourages teamwork, problem-solving under pressure, project planning, adherence to deadlines and responsible, sustainable robot design. It also promotes inclusive participation through free software and hardware, reducing dependence on expensive robotics kits.
Atul Sinha, Director General of the National Communications Academy-Technology, DoT, inaugurated the challenge and delivered the keynote address. Bilel Jamoussi, Deputy Director and Chief of the Study Groups and Policy Department at ITU’s Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, delivered the welcome address.
Other speakers included IHFC Chief Executive Officer Ashutosh Dutt Sharma, IIT Delhi Mechanical Engineering Assistant Professor Rama Krishna K, and Superceuticals co-founder and CEO Atman Jadon.
The closing ceremony featured addresses by Jamoussi; Ananda Raj Khanal, Head of the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific; DoT Deputy Director General for International Relations Mukesh Kumar; and IHFC Project Director Professor Subir Kumar Saha.
Diksha Dhiman, ADET for AI and DIU at DoT, conducted a session on safe cyberspace. Hemendra Kumar Sharma, Counsellor and Technical Expert at India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, also participated in the award distribution. IHFC Vice President and Head Piyush Prasad delivered the vote of thanks.
The dignitaries congratulated the winners, finalists and participating teams and acknowledged the contributions of schools, coaches, mentors and families.
The Indian edition of the Robotics for Good Youth Challenge began in 2024 during the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly hosted by India. Subsequent editions were held at India Mobile Congress in 2025 and 2026.
The initiative builds on India’s longstanding partnership with ITU and brings together government, academia and the innovation ecosystem to provide national and international opportunities for young innovators. Participants were encouraged to continue experimenting and addressing real-world problems through safe and responsible technology.
