The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, organised the nationwide "Design for Bharat Innovation Challenge 2026", a flagship initiative aimed at promoting innovation and design-led problem solving among young minds across the country. The competition was conducted by the School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi, with Indian Institute of Technology Bombay coordinating the Maharashtra state-level process.

The challenge saw enthusiastic participation from students across colleges in Maharashtra, reflecting a strong engagement with design solutions rooted in Indian contexts and societal needs. An eminent jury shortlisted 20 meritorious projectsfrom the state. From these, three outstanding entries, including two from IDC School of Design, IIT Bombay, were selected to represent Maharashtra at the national level.

At the national stage, Mr. Ken Benedict, an M.Des student from the IDC School of Design, IIT Bombay, achieved a significant milestone by securing a position among the Top 5 entries nationwide and was felicitated for his work at the main event that recently concluded at Delhi.

A curated exhibition of the shortlisted Maharashtra projects was subsequently held at IIT Bombay, showcasing a wide spectrum of context-sensitive design interventions. Several projects addressed rural challenges, including solutions for preventing animals from entering farmlands, creating shared community water banks, and tackling obesity and malnutrition. Social and educational concerns were reflected through projects supporting dyslexic children, while urban issues were explored through innovations aimed at improving last-mile delivery using two-wheeler vehicles in dense city environments.

Together, the projects illustrated how design grounded in local realities enables technology to be applied with relevance, sensitivity, and inclusive intent.

The exhibition highlighted the depth and diversity of student-led innovation emerging from Maharashtra and reaffirmed IIT Bombay's role in nurturing socially responsive design practices that contribute meaningfully to nation-building.