Maharashtra, Sep 08: Three young innovators from Maharashtra are bringing technology-led solutions to the national stage through the fifth edition of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow. Representing the themes of AI Living for India and Environmental Sustainability, the innovators from Mumbai and Pune are exploring solutions for small-business financial access, safer firefighting, marine conservation and textile waste.
16-year-old Shrihan Jha, 17-year-old Palaash Gang, 16-year-old Avika Miheer Ghotikar and 21-year-old Yogeeta Kishor Suwasiya have been selected among the national Top 40 of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, Samsung’s flagship CSR innovation programme for young people aged 14 to 22.
AI Living for India
Shrihan Jha from Mumbai is exploring how artificial intelligence can make financial systems more accessible to small businesses. He is developing an app that analyses handwritten bills and UPI payments to generate credit scores, supported by an AI-powered financial chatbot. The solution aims to help small businesses build a more formal financial profile and potentially improve their access to credit.
Environmental Sustainability
Palaash Gang from Pune is working on making firefighting more environmentally responsible. He is developing a biodegradable alternative to traditional PFAS-based firefighting foams. Made using fish-scale waste, the solution explores a collagen-chitosan network designed to suppress fuel vapours without relying on harmful petrochemicals.
Yogeeta Kishor Suwasiya from Mumbai is addressing the growing challenge of textile waste. She is developing a circular denim ecosystem that transforms discarded fabric into lifestyle products, while using material tracking and partnerships with women artisans to extend the life of textiles.
Together, the three solutions show how Maharashtra’s young innovators are approaching challenges across financial inclusion, environmental protection, sustainable materials and circular design, using technology to explore new ways of addressing issues around them.
Their selection is part of a wider national cohort taking shape through Samsung Solve for Tomorrow. More than half of this year’s Top 40 teams are from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, highlighting how young people across India are bringing their own experiences and observations to challenges that matter to their communities.
For Maharashtra, the three finalists showcase how young innovators from Mumbai and Pune are applying technology to both everyday economic challenges and pressing environmental concerns.
Through design thinking, mentorship and hands-on learning, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow enables young innovators from across India to identify real-world challenges and develop potential solutions, helping them move from the early stages towards prototypes.
The Top 40 teams will now participate in a 10-day Innovation Bootcamp, receiving intensive mentoring from startup founders and industry experts at FITT-IIT Delhi. They will also visit Samsung R&D Institute India – Delhi, Noida and Bangalore, Samsung Design Delhi and Samsung’s Regional Headquarters in Gurugram.
The teams will then compete for a place in the Top 20, which will receive further support to strengthen their solutions ahead of the Grand Finale.
At the culmination of the programme, four winning teams will collectively receive incubation grants worth INR 2 crore, along with incubation support from FITT-IIT Delhi, helping them take their solutions towards further development and market readiness.
For Maharashtra’s three young innovators, reaching the national Top 40 marks the next stage in their journey — bringing locally observed challenges to a national platform and exploring how technology can help create more accessible and sustainable solutions.