New Delhi, October 28, 2026: vivo India announced Dheyay Shah from RMG Maheshwari English School, Surat, Gujarat, as the National winner of vivo Ignite 2026, the fourth edition of its nationwide technology and innovation initiative for students in Grades 8-12. His project, JALAAKAR – The Shape of Water: Predict, Alert, & Act, uses machine-learning techniques and historical groundwater-related data to estimate groundwater availability and support informed water management.

The winner was announced at the vivo Ignite 2026 National Finale, held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on October 28, where the Top 10 student innovations were recognized for addressing real-world challenges through creativity, scientific thinking and problem-solving abilities of young innovators. The finalists comprised 13 young innovators across eight individual and two group projects, with solutions spanning groundwater conservation, water safety, women’s online safety, road safety and assistive technologies. The program offers educational scholarships and rewards worth upto INR 35 lakh*.The fourth edition recorded over 38,000 registrations from more than 12,000 schools, with students submitting over 6,100 innovative ideas. Participation spanned over 4,500 cities across 705 districts, covering all 28 states and 8 Union Territories, including 92 Aspirational Districts.Geetaj Channana, Chief Corporate Communications Officer, vivo India, said, “We congratulate Dheyay Shah, the national winner and all the Top 10 finalists of vivo Ignite 2026 for their remarkable innovations. As we complete the fourth edition, the growing participation from over 12,000 schools across 705 districts reinforces the potential of vivo Ignite to become one of India’s largest school-level STEM innovation platforms. Our ambition is to build on this momentum by expanding our reach, particularly across government schools and Aspirational Districts, while strengthening mentorship and opportunities for students to take their ideas beyond the classroom. We envision vivo Ignite becoming India’s most credible school-level innovation platform, empowering young minds to transform their ideas into meaningful solutions and contribute to India’s long-term innovation ambitions.”