St. Mary’s Rehabilitation University Established in Hyderabad, Pioneering India’s First Integrated Rehabilitation Ecosystem

A landmark initiative under the Telangana State Private Universities Act aimed at training 30,000+ professionals and serving over 15 lakh individuals in the next decade.

St. Mary’s Rehabilitation University

Delhi, Feb 27: In a landmark step toward strengthening India’s rehabilitation and inclusive healthcare infrastructure, St. Mary’s Rehabilitation University (SMRU) has been formally established in Hyderabad under the Telangana State Private Universities Act. Envisioned as India’s first fully integrated Rehabilitation University, SMRU is designed to bridge critical gaps in rehabilitation education, clinical services, research, and workforce development.

At a time when India faces an acute shortage of trained professionals in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, rehabilitation psychology, special education, and allied disciplines, SMRU introduces a unified institutional model that combines academic excellence with clinical depth. The university’s foundation aligns with the constitutional mandate of inclusive growth and the objectives of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (RPWD Act).

Responding to India’s Growing Rehabilitation Needs

India legally recognizes 21 disabilities, and the demand for rehabilitation services continues to rise due to neurodevelopmental conditions, mental health disorders, rare diseases, age-related impairments, and trauma recovery. Despite this, rehabilitation services across the country remain fragmented, with limited interdisciplinary coordination and uneven geographic access.

SMRU has been conceptualized as a structural and systemic response to this national capacity gap. Rather than operating as a standalone academic institution, the university integrates classroom instruction, hands-on clinical immersion, rural outreach, assistive technology innovation, and human resource development into a cohesive ecosystem.

By aligning with Section 47 of the RPWD Act—which mandates the promotion of disability studies and workforce development—SMRU positions itself as a long-term capacity-building mission rather than merely a degree-granting institution.

A Fully Integrated Clinical and Academic Ecosystem

SMRU distinguishes itself through built-in clinical infrastructure that ensures real-time learning and interdisciplinary exposure. The ecosystem includes:

* A 100-bedded Medical Rehabilitation Hospital
* A 50-bedded Psychiatric Rehabilitation Facility
* A dedicated Special Education School
* Advanced laboratories and simulation-based training environments

Students begin clinical immersion early in their academic journey, fostering collaboration across therapy, psychology, nursing, public health, biomedical sciences, and education.

The purpose-built campus in Hyderabad offers a serene yet technologically advanced academic setting, supporting research, innovation, and patient-centered care.

Academic Architecture Built for the Future

The university’s academic framework spans multiple specialized schools, including:

* School of Rehabilitation Sciences
* School of Prosthetics, Orthotics & Assistive Technologies
* School of Psychology & Clinical Sciences
* School of Special Education
* School of Nursing & Public Health
* School of Rehabilitation Nutrition
* School of Engineering & Biomedical Innovation

SMRU integrates cutting-edge technologies such as AI-enabled diagnostic tools, robotics-assisted rehabilitation, assistive device design, and health informatics systems into its curriculum. This interdisciplinary architecture elevates rehabilitation from a supplementary healthcare service to a strategic pillar within India’s allied health ecosystem.

Projected Impact: Workforce, Access, and Innovation

Over the next decade, SMRU aims to:

* Train more than 30,000 rehabilitation professionals
* Provide clinical and outreach services to 12–15 lakh individuals
* Conduct over 150 rural rehabilitation camps
* Establish district-level outreach units across Telangana
* Drive research output, patents, and assistive technology innovations

The economic contribution of the rehabilitation workforce developed through SMRU is projected to exceed ₹1,000 crore annually, reinforcing both social and economic value creation.

Strengthening Telangana’s Leadership in Inclusive Development

Telangana has consistently positioned itself at the forefront of healthcare and institutional innovation. With SMRU, the state further strengthens its leadership in mental health services, inclusive education, assistive technology, and community-based rehabilitation.

By integrating healthcare delivery, education, and technological advancement within a single university system, SMRU positions Hyderabad as an emerging national hub for rehabilitation sciences and inclusive healthcare innovation.

Redefining Rehabilitation in India

Rehabilitation today is central to restoring functional independence, enabling participation in society, and advancing inclusive development. It is no longer peripheral to healthcare policy—it is foundational to it.

St. Mary’s Rehabilitation University introduces a new institutional model in Indian higher education—one designed to transform rehabilitation from fragmented services into a comprehensive, integrated national capacity system.

3 Trends in Education Financing in India for 2026

India’s education ecosystem is at an inflection point. With rising enrolments, tighter regulations, and growing expectations around learning outcomes, education financing is evolving beyond traditional lending. By 2026, three clear trends are set to define how capital flows into the sector, particularly for affordable private schools and education entrepreneurs.

1. Rise of Purpose-Driven Education Finance

Education financing is increasingly being shaped by social impact objectives alongside financial returns. Lenders and investors are focusing on institutions that serve low-income and emerging middle-class communities, where access to quality education remains uneven. This shift has led to the growth of specialised education-focused NBFCs that understand school-level challenges such as cash-flow seasonality, infrastructure gaps, and regulatory compliance. Players like Varthana have emerged in this space by offering customised financing solutions for affordable private schools, aligning capital deployment with measurable education outcomes rather than asset-heavy collateral models.

2. Data-Led Credit Assessment and Digital Lending

By 2026, data-driven underwriting is expected to become mainstream in education finance. Traditional balance-sheet-based assessments are being supplemented with alternative data, student enrolment trends, fee collection patterns, geographic demand, and school performance indicators. Digital platforms are enabling faster loan disbursements and ongoing monitoring, reducing turnaround times for schools that often operate with limited buffers. This approach not only lowers risk for lenders but also expands formal credit access for first-generation school founders.

3. Financing Linked to Quality and Compliance Upgrades

Regulatory norms around infrastructure, teacher qualifications, and safety standards are tightening across states. Financing is therefore shifting towards supporting compliance-led upgrades, classroom expansion, digital learning tools, sanitation, and energy-efficient infrastructure. Lenders are increasingly structuring loans that enable schools to meet these requirements while continuing operations uninterrupted, recognising that compliance is now directly linked to long-term viability.

Together, these trends signal a more mature, impact-aligned education financing ecosystem, one that prioritises sustainability, access, and learning outcomes alongside growth.

Qualcomm-Backed Arduino Teams with Get Set Learn to Boost STEAM Education in India

New Delhi, Feb 26: Get Set Learn, an Arvind Mafatlal Group company focused on future-skills education, today announced a strategic collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and Arduino, provider of a leading open-source electronics platform, to strengthen AI, electronics, and emerging technology education for K–12 learners in India.

As artificial intelligence rapidly evolves beyond the cloud and into real-world physical systems, powering robotics, automation, sensing, and intelligent decision-making, equipping students with the ability to build and apply these technologies has become essential for future workforce readiness and national competitiveness. Through this collaboration, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., Arduino, and Get Set Learn will bring Physical AI learning and future-ready curriculum into India’s K–12 education ecosystem.

The collaboration aims to make advanced technology more accessible, practical, and buildable in real classrooms. By combining Arduino’s open, developer-trusted hardware and toolchains with Qualcomm Technologies’ energy-efficient on-device and edge AI capabilities, students will gain hands-on experience in designing and building intelligent physical systems that can operate reliably, even in low-connectivity and resource-constrained environments common across India.

Under the collaboration, Get Set Learn, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and Arduino intend to:

  • Design and deploy classroom-ready learning pathways that integrate electronics, coding, robotics and artificial intelligence to measurable outcomes from grades K 12.
  • On-device, edge AI experiences where learners design, deploy, and iterate physical systems locally, minimizing cloud dependence while improving responsiveness, privacy, and cost efficiency.
  • Support the transformation of ATL and STEAM labs into structured, certification-led learning spaces aligned with future skills and life skills development
  • Implementation at scale through Get Set Learn’s national school partnerships and content ecosystem, ensuring consistent, classroom level level impact across public and private education systems.

Built for India, Aligned to Global Standards

The initiative embraces open, widely adopted global standards and toolchains so schools can invest with confidence. By focusing on physical computing with on-device AI, programs remain resilient to connectivity variability, reduce recurring costs, and teach the architectural fundamentals engineers use to ship real products- sensing, actuation, control loops, and local inference.

From First Principles to Real-World Impact

Students progress from fundamentals to deployable systems: reading sensors, controlling actuators, implementing feedback and safety, and integrating perception tasks like vision and audio. The result is a portfolio of practical builds and certifications that map to higher education and entry-level industry pathways, building confidence and capability early.

As the implementation partner, Get Set Learn will lead on-ground implementation through its content ecosystem and school partnerships, ensuring that global technology platforms are translated into consistent, classroom-level impact. The initiative aligns with national priorities around digital literacy, innovation and workforce readiness, and reflects Get Set Learn’s focus on delivering future skills at scale.

Savi Soin, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. Senior Vice President & President, Qualcomm India, commented

India’s AI future will be built on locally deployed, energy-efficient physical intelligence, and that essential journey must begin in our classrooms today. Through our partnership with Get Set Learn, we are placing edge AI directly into students’ hands through accessible, standards-aligned platforms, thereby empowering the next generation of builders to tackle real-world challenges right where the data and people are.”

For India, the question is no longer whether we will participate in the AI era, but whether we will shape it with depth, capability, and responsibility,”

Priyavrata Mafatlal, Vice-Chairman, Arvind Mafatlal Group and Founder of Get Set Learn.

“The partnership creates a practical platform that complements classroom learning by giving students exposure to future skills through building real systems and engaging with real-world problems. If we want a resilient innovation economy, we must start by building confidence and competence in classrooms- early, locally, and at scale.”

“Get Set Learn’s mission is to ensure that future skills are not limited to a few classrooms, but reach learners across geographies and school systems,” said Ameet Zaverii, CEO & Co-founder, Get Set Learn. “By working with Qualcomm Technologies and Arduino, we are bringing together global technology leadership and hands-on learning to create structured, scalable education models that are ready for real classrooms.”

“Arduino has always stood for accessible innovation,” said Fabio Violante, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. Vice President & General Manager, Arduino, “Together with Qualcomm Technologies and Get Set Learn, we’re scaling Physical AI education so every learner can build, test, and deploy intelligent systems, from first prototypes in school to real solutions in their communities.”

Further details on implementation and scale will be shared at the February 2026 AI Summit, marking the next phase of the collaboration to strengthen AI and future-skills education in India

Jaipuria Group Emphasizes Human Accountability in AI Education at India AI Impact Summit 2026

New Delhi, Feb 26: Seth M.R. Jaipuria Group outlined its position on the future of AI in education at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, held in New Delhi, addressing its approach to integrating AI tools within structured academic systems.

The panel discussion, titled Leveraging AI in Education: Human Capital, Inclusion, and Trust in the AI Era,” was held in New Delhi and moderated by Dr. Subhajyoti Ray, Director, Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida. The session brought together academic leaders and industry representatives to examine how AI is reshaping expectations from students, faculty, and institutions.

The discussion began with an analysis of how AI is changing what is expected of both students and teachers. Panellists discussed the need to differentiate between technical capabilities and human accountability. During the session, Mr. Shreevats Jaipuria, Vice Chairman, Seth M.R. Jaipuria Group, spoke about the importance of building education systems that are AI-native without losing their human core. He said, “While artificial intelligence has expanded access to information and analysis, responsibility for decisions with long-term consequences continues to rest with people.” According to him, institutions must design learning environments where students work with AI regularly from early age as it’s the need, while also developing judgment and accountability on the sidelines.

Expanding on this, Mr. Jaipuria noted that across the Group’s education institutions, tools such as Script/OneCV for résumé optimisation, rehearse for interview simulations, Showrunner for project management, and the AI Space for real-world practice are being integrated into everyday learning. He added that teaching, mentoring, interaction, and reflection through human engagement should be given equal importance.

The discussions concluded with a structured analysis of how schools and higher education institutions are adapting curricula, assessment methods, and skill-development frameworks to align with AI-enabled workplaces.

Pan IIT Urges Strategic Expansion to Make India a Global Education Hub

By:- Prabhat Kumar, Chairman (IRS), Pan IIT Alumni India

Pan IIT welcomes the Knight Frank – Deloitte report identifying India as the world’s most strategic higher education growth market, driven by its 155 million-strong youth cohort. To harness this potential, we advocate for a dual strategy: vertical expansion through world-class research and specialisation, and horizontal expansion via accessible education hubs across India. These hubs will integrate academia, industry, and innovation, positioning India as a leader in the Global South for educational collaboration and opportunity.

Enabled by 100% automatic-route FDI and supportive budget provisions for research and skill development, we urge the adoption of further streamlined policies to attract private and foreign university investment. Our focus must be on scaling technical and vocational education while deeply integrating Indian Knowledge Systems. Pan IIT is committed to partnering with all stakeholders to transform India into a global knowledge exporter and destination.

Coventry University Group’s India Hub strengthens research partnerships through collaboration in AI, clean tech and healthcare

Coventry University Group’s India Hub is hosting a week of high-powered engagements with strategic research partners, government and industry stakeholders to explore priority themes including artificial intelligence (AI) and data science, healthcare and clean growth. 

A delegation from Coventry University Group’s senior research leadership team led by Professor Richard Dashwood, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), and including Professors Elena Gaura, Carl Perrin and Rohit Bhagat travelled to India to deepen those strategic partnerships. 

Over the past year the education group has developed a growing portfolio of collaborations with leading Indian institutions, including IIT Guwahati and GITAM, translating global engagement into real-world research impact and harnessing strategic relationships to create tangible research activity and joint programmes. 

Caption: Coventry University’s delegation meets with representatives of IIT Delhi

 Coventry University Group and IIT Guwahati formalised their collaboration through a Memorandum of Understanding, enabling joint research, co-funded PhDs, staff and student mobility, and community engagement projects.  

Coventry University Group and IIT Delhi held a Winter School centred on energy storage, green hydrogen and the application of AI and machine learning in material development, characterisation and data analytics. This will further strengthen knowledge exchange and open avenues for exploring joint supervision models and collaborative research in those areas. 

The India Hub is playing a central role in strengthening academic, research and innovation partnerships with India in areas such as AI, healthcare innovation and societal wellbeing, as well as supporting Coventry University Group’s growing footprint in doctoral education, researcher development and innovation capacity-building. 

Through its partnership with GITAM, the Group has established a dual-award PhD programme, with the first cohort of candidates already enrolled across projects spanning health technologies, clean growth and creative disciplines. 

As part of the visit the delegation will also be engaging with government agencies, industry and various research institutes to advance joint initiatives in India across a range of stakeholders. 

Professor Richard Dashwood, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at Coventry University, said: “Our research always comes with a real-world change in mind and working alongside institutions and partners in India we can have a lasting impact on areas such as clean tech, AI and healthcare. This visit highlighted the importance of multi-disciplinary research, ethical frameworks and real-world validation, and demonstrated how UK–India collaboration can accelerate progress in these areas.” 

Yashodhara Dasgupta, Regional Managing Director of Coventry University Group’s India Hub, said: “The India Hub exists to turn relationships into outcomes. Whether through joint PhDs, research-led training or policy-facing dialogue, our focus is on creating platforms where UK and Indian expertise can come together to address real-world challenges and deliver shared value.” 

ESCP Business School ranks 8th in Europe and 22nd worldwide in the Financial Times Global MBA ranking

Feb 24: ESCP’s MBA ranks 8th in Europe and 22nd worldwide in the Financial Times annual ranking of the top 100 MBA programmes, placing it among the top business schools globally. The programme ranks 1st across Germany, Italy and Poland, 3rd in the United Kingdom and France, and 4th in Spain. 
 
ESCP’s MBA stands out for its international profile. The programme ranks 1st globally for international course experience, with a strong multicultural experience that prepares participants for global careers. Students gain hands-on experience through two company consultancy projects that take place in two different countries, and typically study on at least two ESCP campuses across Berlin, London, Madrid, Turin and Paris. This international focus is further enforced by the programme’s highly diverse student body.
“This result confirms ESCP’s position as a truly global business school, rooted in Europe and recognised worldwide. Ranking 22nd globally in the Financial Times MBA ranking reflects our long-standing commitment to academic excellence, international collaboration and responsible leadership,” says Prof. Léon Laulusa, Executive President and Dean of ESCP Business School.
Designed to help mid-level professionals seeking to accelerate or transform their careers, the ESCP MBA offers a flexible format tailored to students’ lifestyles and ambitions. Available on campus, online, or in a hybrid format, the programme can be completed in up to 22 months and offers a choice of four specialisations: Consulting, Entrepreneurship, Luxury, or Fintech & Innovation.
 
The ESCP MBA also performed strongly on sustainability criteria, ranking 4th globally for ESG and net zero teaching. ESCP embeds ESG principles across the core curriculum, with a strong focus on sustainability & entrepreneurship.
“Our focus is on delivering rigorous, relevant education that enables professionals to succeed in a rapidly changing global environment. The FT results highlight the strength of the ESCP MBA experience, from the international classroom and flexible learning formats to the tangible career outcomes our graduates achieve,” says Prof. Francesco Rattalino, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Student Experience at ESCP Business School.
In the 2026 ranking, ESCP was ranked 5th globally for value for money, and 100% of MBA graduates were employed within three months of graduation, according to the FT.
“The ESCP MBA is designed to prepare leaders who can operate confidently across borders and navigate complexity with a strong sense of responsibility. This recognition from the FT reflects the coherence of our approach, combining human-centred learning as a driver for critical thinking, international exposure and academic rigour,”  says Prof. Benoît Heilbrunn, Associate Dean of the MBA programme at ESCP Business School.

India–France Academic Ties Deepen as Vijaybhoomi University and KEDGE Business School Announce Strategic Partnership

India–France Academic Ties Deepen as Vijaybhoomi University and KEDGE Business School Announce Strategic Partnership

New Delhi, Feb 23: Vijaybhoomi University, India’s first liberal professional university, signed a global academic partnership with KEDGE Business School, France. This collaboration brings together Vijaybhoomi University with AACSB accreditation and KEDGE Business School, a globally ranked institution holding the prestigious triple-crown accreditation of AACSB, AMBA, and EQUIS.

This partnership will benefit students by providing access to world-class education frameworks, cross-border academic exposure, clearly defined global mobility pathways, and strengthened industry connections across Europe. The institutions aim to develop collaborative academic initiatives, including exchange opportunities, progression pathways, joint programmes, and enhanced research and faculty engagement. The announcement highlights the growing importance of international collaboration in education to prepare students for an interconnected global education and economy.

Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Sanjay Padode, President, Vijaybhoomi University, said,

“Our partnership reflects a commitment to creating globally relevant learning experiences for our students. By collaborating with a globally respected, triple-crown-accredited institution, KEDGE Business School, we are going to expand international pathways for our students that combine academic excellence with real-world industry exposure. Our vision is to prepare students confident, globally aware, and professionally competitive.”

Alexandre de Navailles, Directeur Général / CEO, KEDGE Business School, stated,

“The event was special as we are now officially partnered with Vijaybhoomi University as part of KEDGE’s continued commitment to expanding its global footprint. This collaboration will strengthen KEDGE’s global presence and reinforce our commitment to delivering high-quality international education in India. We aim to build sustainable academic collaboration that connects Europe and India in powerful and lasting ways.”

Elaborating on this, Céline Davesne, Associate Dean Programmes & International, KEDGE Business School, said,

 “India represents one of the most dynamic education landscapes in the world, and this partnership enables us to provide top-tier education and international exposure to students. By working closely with Vijaybhoomi University,  our focus in the future will be to design impactful academic pathways for students who want to experience integrated learning exposures and collaborative academic programmes in India.”

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in the presence of Mr. Sanjay Padode, President, Vijaybhoomi University; Alexandre de Navailles, Directeur Général and CEO, KEDGE Business School; and Céline Davesne, Associate Dean Programmes & International, KEDGE Business School, in the presence of senior academic leaders and renowned media persons, where both institutions highlighted their shared focus on innovation, employability, and experiential learning as key pillars of the partnership.

Build What Wins: Two Kellogg Executive Education Programs to Lead Products and AI Strategy in 2026

Feb 23: As organizations accelerate AI adoption and digital transformation, the real differentiator in 2026 will not be experimentation — but disciplined execution. Addressing this shift, Kellogg Executive Education introduces two high-impact programs designed to equip leaders with the capabilities to drive product growth and enterprise-wide AI strategy: the Post Graduate Certificate in Product Management (KLG PM) and AI Strategies and Applications for Leaders (KLG AIS).

Recent industry reports underscore the urgency. While AI adoption across India is widespread, governance and enterprise-level execution remain inconsistent. With organizations integrating AI tools rapidly, leaders who can bridge product leadership with structured AI strategy will define the next phase of competitive advantage.

1) Build Products That Scale

KLG PM – Post Graduate Certificate in Product Management

Why It Matters Now

India’s digital economy is expanding rapidly, but product success today is defined by measurable outcomes — revenue growth, adoption, and retention — not feature velocity. Modern product leaders are expected to connect customer insight, analytics, experimentation, and financial impact seamlessly.

What Leaders Build

End-to-End Product Ownership
Participants lead the full product lifecycle, from opportunity discovery and MVP development to launch and growth strategy.

Evidence-Based Decision-Making
The program integrates opportunity sizing, pricing strategy, and portfolio management with financial impact.

Designing for Adoption
Through UI/UX frameworks, experimentation, and prototyping, leaders learn to de-risk launches before scaling.

Fluency in Data and AI Tools
Participants leverage analytics and GenAI-enabled workflows, including tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot, Mixpanel, and Maze, to accelerate discovery and validation.

Executive-Ready Deliverables
The program culminates in stakeholder-ready roadmaps, go-to-market plans, metrics frameworks, and a capstone demonstrating measurable business value.

Who It Is For:
Mid- to senior-level professionals and cross-functional leaders from engineering, UX, marketing, and sales seeking outcome-driven product leadership.

 

Lead AI at the Enterprise Level

KLG AIS – AI Strategies and Applications for Leaders

Why It Matters Now

AI usage is accelerating across industries, yet few organizations have scaled it into enterprise-wide value creation. The challenge is no longer technological access — it is strategic prioritization, governance, and disciplined deployment.

What Leaders Build

Strategic AI Prioritization
Participants apply Kellogg frameworks such as AI Canvas 2.0, AI Radar 2.0, and AI Capability Maturity Models to assess readiness and value potential.

Operational AI Across the Value Chain
Leaders identify high-impact use cases across customer experience, operations, and support functions.

Responsible and Governed AI Leadership
Ethics, regulatory exposure, workforce impact, and governance are embedded into transformation planning.

Understanding GenAI and Agentic AI
Through faculty-led sessions, leaders gain clarity on AI agents, RAG-style architectures, and enterprise implications.

CEO-Ready Business Case
The capstone requires participants to craft a “Memo to the CEO,” outlining AI readiness, prioritized use cases, ROI logic, and a phased execution roadmap.

Who It Is For:
C-suite leaders, consultants, and functional heads across marketing, sales, and technology who require a strategy-first AI approach. No coding background required.

What This Signals for Leaders in 2026

As AI becomes embedded in everyday operations and organizations demand measurable returns, leadership advantage will come from disciplined execution. Professionals who can build scalable products with market impact — or lead AI transformation with governance, accountability, and clear ROI — will define the next era of growth.

Through KLG PM and KLG AIS, Kellogg Executive Education equips leaders not just to understand change, but to operationalize it — translating strategic intent into measurable outcomes aligned with where the market is heading.

The Winners of Creators of Tomorrow, a Unique Challenge Organized for Civil Engineering Students, Announced

 

 

Hyderabad, Feb 23: The grand finale of Radha TMT’s unique initiative, “Creators of Tomorrow – Buildathon 2026,” a first-of-its-kind Civil Engineering Innovation Platform organised exclusively for civil engineering students across Telangana held on Saturday night at Shilpakala Vedika, Madhapur.

 CVR College of Engineering emerged as the winner for their innovative proposal titled “Water Treatment Waste into Sustainable Building Solutions.” The team was declared the winner of the challenge and walked away with a cash prize of Rs 2.5 lakh.

 Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies (RGUKT), Basara, secured the first runner-up position and bagged Rs 1 lakh, while JNTU Hyderabad was declared the second runner-up and received Rs 50,000. Consolation prizes of Rs 25,000 each were awarded to Sreenidhi Institute of Science and Technology (SNIST), University College of Engineering (Osmania University), Gokaraju Rangaraju Institute of Engineering and Technology (GRIET), and VNR Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology (VNR VJIET).

 Over 100 engineering colleges and a couple of hundred civil engineering students participated in the multi-level competition, culminating in seven finalist teams. The finalists included teams from JNTU Hyderabad, University College of Engineering–Osmania University, GRIET, VNR VJIET, SNIST, RGUKT Basara, and CVR College of Engineering.

 The competition showcased pioneering and practical ideas addressing real-world infrastructure challenges. One of the notable presentations focused on pothole-free roads. Highlighting that nearly 2,161 people die annually due to pothole-related accidents and that the government spends between Rs 1,000 crore and Rs 3,000 crore annually on maintenance, students proposed a preventive solution using micro-encapsulation technology with waste and used cooking oil. Their approach targeted micro-level cracks in roads, aiming to prevent crack expansion, block water penetration, maintain structural integrity, and eliminate the root causes of potholes.

 Students from OU College of Engineering presented “Alga Nova,” an algae-based cement additive that reduces cement usage by 2.5 percent. While not a complete replacement for cement, the team positioned it as a sustainable alternative component. A jury member remarked that while the Romans invented concrete, a well-developed alternative cement innovation could create history.

 An all-women team from GRIET showcased “Sugarcrete,” lightweight bricks made from sugarcane bagasse, presenting it as a sustainable and viable construction material. The VNR VJIET team proposed algae-based sustainable paints, claiming the product to be 40 percent cheaper and a biodegradable alternative to conventional paints.

SNIST students proposed Geopolymer Concrete, a 100 percent cement-free concrete solution capable of reducing carbon emissions by 70–80 percent. Meanwhile, RGUKT students presented Green Concrete reinforced with natural bamboo fibre to reduce cracks and enhance structural performance. During the discussion, a jury member noted that bamboo has been recognised as a national building material and represents the future of sustainable construction.

 Smt. Harichandana Dasari, IAS, District Collector of Hyderabad, graced the occasion as Chief Guest. Addressing more than 1,000 students, she said that the problems identified and solutions proposed by the finalist teams addressed real-life challenges awaiting scalable solutions. She expressed admiration for the innovative and industry-first nature of several ideas and said that with further development and persistence, many of these concepts could solve perennial infrastructure challenges in the country.

 Describing the initiative as the need of the hour, she emphasised the importance of industry–academia collaboration and urged students to build a better tomorrow and a more liveable world. “Big buildings are not great buildings; buildings that are liveable are great,” she remarked, encouraging students to pursue their ideas with persistence until they are commercialised.

 Sunil Saraf, Chairman of Radha TMT, stated that the Creators of Tomorrow initiative was conceptualised to celebrate young engineering talent and foster innovation. He highlighted that civil engineering forms the backbone of national development, as infrastructure such as roads, bridges, dams, buildings, and water systems is fundamental to trade, public health, water security, and economic growth. In this context, Radha TMT launched the Buildathon to inspire the next generation of nation-builders.

 Akshat Saraf, Director of Radha TMT, added that centred on the theme “Green & Sustainable Construction for a Greener Future,” the competition aimed to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and real-world industry requirements. Students were encouraged to propose innovative, scalable, and practical solutions addressing modern infrastructure challenges.

 The competition offered cash prizes worth over Rs 5 lakh, along with internship opportunities, industry-recognised certifications, factory visits, ISO training exposure, and direct interaction with leading construction professionals.

 As a leading TMT bar manufacturer associated with the construction ecosystem, Radha TMT reaffirmed its commitment to nurturing future-ready civil engineers, promoting sustainable construction practices, strengthening industry–academia collaboration, and contributing responsibly to India’s infrastructure growth.

 The jury members comprised: Mr Sridhar Gopisetti – Founder & Principal Architect, Team One India Pvt. Ltd.; Mr Zaki Ahmed – Founder, Zaki & Associates; Mr Surya Prakash – Managing Director, SatyaVani Projects & Consultants Pvt. Ltd.; Dr Mahendra Kumar Madhavan – Professor, Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad; Mr C. Shekar Reddy – Vice Chairman, IGBC; Managing Director, CSR Estates Ltd.; Mr Rajkumar Kancherla – Managing Director, Kancherla Projects Pvt. Ltd.

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