Robotex India National Championship 2026 Begins in Pune; Winners to Represent India in Seoul

Loni Kalbhor, 18th July 2026: With participation from thousands of school and college students, teachers, parents, principals, industry leaders, and policymakers, the Robotex India National Championship 2026 commenced on Friday, July 17, at the World Peace Dome of MIT-ADT University, Loni Kalbhor, highlighting India’s growing focus on robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), electronics, and innovation-driven education.

Hosted at MIT-ADT University for the third consecutive year, the championship is regarded as one of India’s most inclusive robotics competitions, bringing together students from government, municipal, Zilla Parishad, and private schools on a common platform.

This year’s edition has attracted nearly 7,000 students, with competitions being held across nine categories: Girls Fire Fight, Drone Aviation, Entrepreneurship Challenge, Maze Solver, Mini Sumo, Mega Sumo, Folk Race, Line Follower, and LEGO Line Follower.

The top three winners in each category will earn the opportunity to represent India at the Robotex International Championship 2026 in Seoul, South Korea.

The inaugural ceremony was attended by several distinguished dignitaries, including Shri Anandrao V. Patil, IAS, Additional Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education; Prof. Sunita Karad, Executive Director, MIT-ADT University; Anneli Pikkmets, Head of Robotex International; Ali Khan, Manager, IT Governance, Risk and Compliance, ZS; Abhijeet Deka, Head – Analytics, Applications and Sales Operations, Finolex Industries Ltd; Prema Jogdand, CSR Ambassador, BMC Software; Manish Tayade, CSR Head, Sterlite Technologies Limited; Navisha Prabhakar, Regional Head – Education (South and West), Google Cloud; Rubi Prasad, Education Lead – India, Arduino; and Dr. Shantipal Ohol, organiser of ROSCon India, Chief Judge at Robocon India, Robotics Activity Head at COEP Technological University, and Chief Mentor of Robotex India.

Addressing the gathering, Payal Rajpal, Director of Robotex India, said the event has evolved into one of the country’s largest grassroots technology platforms over the past seven years.

“Robotex India is much more than a competition. It is a movement that introduces children to emerging technologies at an early age and gives them the confidence to innovate. Nearly half of our participants come from Zilla Parishad and municipal corporation schools, while the remaining students represent private institutions, making this one of India’s most inclusive technology championships.

Hackathons and robotics competitions are not merely about winning medals or standing on a podium. They are platforms where students—from Grade 4 to higher secondary and beyond—gain hands-on exposure to artificial intelligence, robotics, electronics, and problem-solving. When children gain access to technology early in life, they begin thinking like innovators rather than just learners. We are nurturing future entrepreneurs, engineers, and changemakers who will develop solutions for real-world challenges. These young minds will not only shape India’s technological future but also contribute to making the world a better and more sustainable place through innovation,” Rajpal said.

Shri Anandrao V. Patil, IAS, Additional Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, said India possesses one of the world’s largest pools of young talent and that the country’s future will depend on how effectively emerging technologies are integrated into education.

“Platforms like Robotex India are creating exactly that ecosystem where innovation begins at the school level. I congratulate Payal Rajpal and her entire team for building an inclusive national movement that brings together students from government and private schools under one roof. Such initiatives complement India’s vision of creating future-ready talent capable of leading global technological transformation,” he said.

Ali Khan, Global Director (Head) – Governance, Risk and Compliance at ZS, highlighted the company’s continued partnership with the initiative.
“At ZS, we believe innovation begins with opportunity. Over the past four years, our partnership with Robotex India has helped impact more than 5,000 students across three states, expanding access to hands-on STEM, robotics, and AI education. We are proud to support an initiative that is empowering young people with the skills, confidence, and curiosity to become the innovators and problem-solvers of tomorrow,” Khan said.

Officials said the championship continues to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world technological applications while encouraging participation from students across diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. With competitions focused on autonomous robotics, drone technologies, entrepreneurship, and AI-enabled problem-solving, organisers believe Robotex India has emerged as one of the country’s leading talent platforms for future engineers, innovators, and entrepreneurs.

Corporate partners such as ZS have played a significant role in this journey. Over the past four years, the company’s association with Robotex India has helped reach more than 5,000 students across three states.
The championship will conclude with the announcement of winners across all nine categories, who will go on to represent India at the Robotex International Championship 2026 in Seoul, South Korea.