Sports has long been a vehicle for social mobility but uneven access to coaching, facilities, and exposure often limits talent to geography. At Samsung Solve for Tomorrow (SFT) 2025, the flagship education programme of Samsung, in partnership with IIT Delhi, young innovators reimagined sport as a pathway to opportunity by leveraging technology to democratize access and inclusion.
Thousands of students nationwide responded to the call under the theme “Social Change Through Sport & Technology.” Here’s how they are opening the gates of Indian sport:
- A Purpose-Driven Theme
This category invited innovations expanding access to training, virtual coaching, e-sports, and skill development—aimed at building healthier, aspirational futures for young people across India.
- NextPlayAI: Democratizing Talent Discovery
Tennis players and IIIT Pune computer science students Aadish Shelke and Bhagyashri Meena created NextPlayAI, an AI-powered platform using video analytics and machine learning to uncover sporting potential through personalized feedback and performance comparison. Their goal: elite guidance accessible and affordable anywhere.
- Diverse Innovations Driving Inclusion
Other finalists and winners are creating tech to make sport accessible to all, including:
- Shatranj Swaya Crew (Assam): AI powered solution compliant with FIDE to enable people with visual impairment play chess independently
- SPORTS4AUTISM (Tamil Nadu): Hybrid app that gamifies therapy for autistic children using sports, tracking progress and improving engagement
- STATUSCODE200 (Uttar Pradesh): AI-powered app to help student athletes improve their skills (posture detection, skill level) to personalize coaching
- Unity (Tamil Nadu): Patented device to support autistic children using gamified approach for cognitive development
- Backing Innovation From Prototype to Product
Winners received up to ₹1 crore incubation support at IIT Delhi, with additional awards for top teams, including ₹1 lakh grants, Goodwill Awards and Young Innovator Awards and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip smartphones for the top 20 teams.
- Growing a Decentralized Sporting Ecosystem
The 2025 cohort saw strong participation from Tier-II and Tier-III cities, with alumni mentoring newcomers and access to IIT Delhi’s FITT Labs for prototyping—fueling the spread of sports tech innovation beyond metros.
- Empathy and Responsibility at the Core
Participants engaged in design-thinking workshops focused on empathy-first innovation, solving genuine social challenges rather than technology for technology’s sake, aligned with responsible AI principles.
- A Legacy of Empowering Changemakers
Since 2010, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow has inspired 2.9 million young innovators in 68 countries, equipping students with mentorship and tools to build STEM solutions that make a difference. India’s diverse contributions continue to grow year on year.
