Samsung India on 17 October 2026 announced the winners of the fifth Indian edition of its Solve for Tomorrow innovation competition, awarding ₹2 crore in incubation grants across four winning teams at a Grand Finale in New Delhi. The 2026 edition drew entries from 648 cities across 28 states and seven union territories, making it one of the country's largest student innovation programmes — and an early pipeline for future startup funding in India.
The four winning teams span AI, health tech, sustainability and sports tech: QuantHunt from Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh, an AI-based cybersecurity solution to identify encryption vulnerabilities ahead of quantum-computing risks; morphism from Raipur, Chhattisgarh, an AI system that helps autistic individuals read emotions through facial expressions; InnoBotix from New Delhi, a solar-powered AI edge device that warns human settlements about approaching wildlife; and Somatrace from Hyderabad, Telangana, a wearable IoT tool measuring spinal angles and load to flag injury risk for precision-sport athletes.
Beyond the top prize, the Top 20 teams received ₹20 lakh in grants, with two Community Choice Awards of ₹1 lakh each and a Digital Impact Award of ₹50,000. Winners get mentorship and incubation support at FITT, IIT Delhi — a pathway Samsung explicitly frames as turning prototypes into startups. Finalists were selected through a six-month journey of 184 design-thinking workshops across 135 cities, bootcamps and pitch evaluations. Since 2022, around 80,000 students have participated, and over half of this year's ideas came from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
Government partners line up behind the pipeline
The programme's strategic partners read like an ecosystem map: the UN in India, FITT IIT Delhi, Startup India (DPIIT), MeitY Startup Hub, Atal Innovation Mission (NITI Aayog) and Manthan (Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser). The Grand Finale even featured an Investor Meet where the Top 20 teams met investors to explore next steps. UN Resident Coordinator Stefan Priesner said India's young innovators are at the heart of achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
Why it matters for founders
Student grant competitions like Solve for Tomorrow are where the next generation of Indian deep-tech founders is being scouted — early. If you're building in AI, sustainability or health tech, these programmes offer grant money, IIT Delhi incubation and direct investor exposure before you ever raise a round.