The Center for Emerging Markets (CEM) was thrilled to support the sixth edition of SmartIDEAthon, one of India's largest student social innovation competitions, held on December 12, 2025, at GITAM University in Visakhapatnam. This year's event attracted over 2,200 student teams from 29 Indian states, all vying to present solutions to pressing national challenges across five key themes: Climate Action & Circular Economy, Micro-Entrepreneurship & Livelihoods, AI & Emerging Tech for Bharat, Frugal & Grassroots Innovation, and Digital Public Infrastructure & Inclusion.
This event was supported by the Vivek and Vandana Sharma India Initiative at CEM, an endowed initiative aimed at expanding and deepening engagement with economic and business issues in India.
Organized by GITAM University's Venture Development Centre (VDC) under the leadership of Professor Krish Nangegadda, Chief Innovation Officer at GITAM University and NU-IDEA program India Liaison at Northeastern, SmartIDEAthon 2025 brought together partners including Startup India, Invest India, the Northeastern University Center for Entrepreneurship Education (NUCEE), and Balavikas of Fairfax, USA. Ravi Ramamurti, Founding Director of the Center for Emerging Markets and University Distinguished Professor of International Business and Strategy, served as a judge for the finals alongside Greg Collier, Professor of Practice, Entrepreneurship & Innovation at the D'Amore-McKim School of Business.
The competition has experienced remarkable growth since its inception, having facilitated over 6,000 applications and distributed cash prizes and grants worth more than 80 lakhs across its first five editions. SmartIDEAthon has established itself as one of India's premier college-level social innovation platforms, second only to the Tata Social Enterprise Challenge.
Elna Melvin from Vellore Institute of Technology claimed the top prize with Aquagreen, developing an intelligent autonomous robot that tackles water pollution by cleaning water bodies. Aquagreen also captured the Leben Johnson People's Choice Award, selected through audience voting during the finals.
Nasreen Fathima A and Diya A U from the National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management in Thanjavur earned the Runner-Up position with EcoWrap, which transforms agricultural waste into biodegradable packaging materials, demonstrating the principles of circular economy and biomaterial science.
The Best Woman-led Entrepreneurship Idea award went to Chadalavada Manognaa and Akula Tejasmitha from GITAM University in Hyderabad for EcoVarnam, an innovative circular materials venture converting textile waste into sustainable furniture panels that serve as eco-friendly alternatives to traditional MDF and plywood.
Adrija Ghosh and Shyantan Kundu from the Institute of Engineering and Management in Kolkata won Best Social Impact Idea for Oillovators, which addresses industrial waste through a modular system that recycles used engine and lubricating oils into marine fuel oil and heavy fuel oil, targeting waste oil recyclers in major industrial and port cities.
The winning and runner-up teams will travel to Boston for two weeks of immersion in the city's innovation ecosystem, participating in Northeastern University's IDEA Ready-Set-Go Structured Venture Development Program. The Best Women-led Team and Best Social Impact winners will also receive fully sponsored Boston trips with personalized venture coaching, made possible through the generosity of Vivek and Vandana Sharma's gift to CEM.
CEM looks forward to continuing its partnership with GITAM University and watching these promising ventures develop and create meaningful impact across India.
About the Vivek and Vandana Sharma India Initiative
The Vivek and Vandana Sharma India Initiative is an endowed initiative at the Center for Emerging Markets with an aim to expand and deepen engagement with economic and business issues in India. It supports CEM's India Lecture series; enables scholars, students, and practitioners from India to complete visiting terms at the CEM; encourages D'Amore-McKim and CEM faculty to conduct use-inspired research in India; and creates a community of business leaders in the U.S. and India with a special interest in American-Indian economic ties.
