Maker Mela, Asia’s Largest Platform for Makers celebrates its 9th Edition

riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar welcomes 100+ innovations from across the globe.

The vibrant campus of Somaiya Vidyavihar is all set to witness 100+ innovations from across the world at the 9th Edition of Maker Mela, powered by the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, is to be held from 12th to 14th February 2024. The flagship annual event of the Research Innovation Incubation Design Laboratory Foundation (riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar) provides a unique opportunity for grassroots makers, innovators, and creators to showcase their projects, connect with like-minded individuals, and gain exposure to a diverse audience. Whether you’re passionate about sustainability, technology, arts, or any other field, Maker Mela welcomes everyone to come together and celebrate creativity and innovation.

From environmentally-friendly products to cancer care devices and handmade paper cutting, each category showcases a diverse array of innovations. Right from the oldest maker being Tetsuj Katsuda (Age: 60 years) from Japan building Buddy-kun, a robot that interacts to the youngest one being Anay and Abeer Ramakrishnan (Age: 9 years) creative digital interactive avatars using GenAI. 

In addition to the innovative projects, the event will witness the presence of Mr. Arjun Vaidya, Ventures Lead, Verlinvest as the Keynote Speaker during the inauguration ceremony. Several artistic cardboard installations signifying the essence of maker culture will also be showcased throughout the 3-day event. 

Recognized for its commitment to sustainability, Maker Mela was honored with the “International Green Apple Environment Award” by The Houses of Parliament, Westminster Palace, London, in 2017. Sustainability continues to be a core of the event as a workshop is organized by ReDesign, The Circular Economy club on campus in collaboration with The Denim Project to upcycle old denims into useful products. To support this effort, a cart has been built by makers & designers from Somaiya Vidyavihar University exhibiting sustainable startups & makers. 

Other planned activities include Makers’ Night as an ice-breaking session for the Makers, Pitching Session for potential investment opportunities & Networking activities for peer-to-peer learning & building long-term collaborations. Inviting everyone to get inspired by networking with innovators & contribute to this ever-growing global maker movement.

Mr. Gaurang Shetty, Chief Innovation Catalyst at riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar, expressed his excitement for Maker Mela 2024, “ This is not just an event, for the past 8 years, Maker Mela has served as a testament to the power of human creativity and ingenuity. Every project showcased holds the potential to make an impact not just locally, but also globally. Through Maker Mela, we not only celebrate innovations but also nurture a culture of exploration and problem-solving and empower makers to shape the future they envision.”

Over the past 8 editions, Maker Mela has welcomed projects from over 850 makers across 25 countries. Notably, 350 makers have been featured on the Maker Mela community platform makermela.com, attracting an impressive viewership of around 104,000 from over 105 countries, including 1000+ cities globally.