iPhone 18 Pro Lineup Pre-Bookings And Never Before Prices On iPhone 17Pro And 17 ProMax At Croma

* Croma Opens Pre-Bookings for New iPhone 18 Pro Line-Up with Exclusive Exchange Bonus of up to ₹12,000

* Simultaneously Unveils Never-Before Prices on iPhone 17 Pro Starting at ₹69,990* ~

Croma, India's leading omni-channel electronics retailer from the Tata Group, have announced the pre-booking for iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max is live. Customers can secure Apple’s latest devices through a flexible pre-booking offer available nationwide across Croma stores, croma.com, the Tata Neu app, and Big Basket.

The new Pro lineup brings Apple’s latest advances in performance and photography, including the powerful A20 Pro chip, Apple’s in-house C2 wireless modem and a new 48MP Fusion main camera with a physical variable aperture.

Pre-bookings will be available across more than 560 Croma stores in over 200 cities, as well as on croma.com, the Tata Neu app and Big Basket. For complete pricing and availability details, customers can visit their nearest Croma store or croma.com.

Pre-Booking Details for the iPhone 18 Pro Lineup

Customers can pre-book the iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max at Croma stores for ₹5,000. Pre-bookings through croma.com, Tata Neu and BigBasket will require full payment

Customer can avail an exclusive exchange bonus of up to ₹12,000 at Croma

Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4 and AirPods can be pre-booked at Croma stores for ₹2,000. Pre-bookings through croma.com, Tata Neu, and Big Basket require full payment and is going live already.

iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max continue to deliver value

Exclusive Offers for iPhone 17 Pro:

iPhone 17 Pro 256 GB available in stores at ₹69,990* and 512 GB at ₹88,490*. How to get this offer:

Avail ₹4,000 bank cashback on select credit cards

Exchange your old iPhone15 pro for up to ₹44,500 (depending on condition and model)

Avail ₹12,000* exchange bonus

The phone can also be availed on croma.com at ₹1,26,490* (256GB) and ₹1,45,990* (512GB) inclusive of ₹4,000 bank cashback starting 15th September.

Exclusive Offers for iPhone 17 Pro Max:

iPhone 17 Pro Max 256 GB available in stores at ₹74,990* and 512 GB at ₹94,990*. How to get this offer:

Avail ₹4,000 bank cashback on select credit cards

Exchange your old iPhone15 pro max for up to ₹53,000 (depending on condition and model)

Avail ₹12,000* exchange bonus

The phone can also be availed on croma.com at ₹1,39,990* (256GB) and ₹1,59,990* (512GB) inclusive of ₹4,000 bank cashback starting 15th September.

Commenting on the announcement, a spokesperson at Infiniti Retail Ltd. said, “A new iPhone Pro launch is always met with strong anticipation, and customers increasingly want a simple and seamless way to secure their preferred model. Through our nationwide store network and digital platforms, we are making the pre-booking journey easier, from choosing the right model to exchanging an existing device and completing the purchase. Alongside the new lineup, the continued availability of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max at compelling prices allows customers to select a Pro model that best suits their priorities and budget.”

For more information about the exclusive offers and to explore the full range of products, customers are encouraged to visit their nearest Croma store, or shop online at Croma.com and through the Tata Neu app. With an expansive presence across more than 560+ stores across 200+ cities, Croma remains committed to delivering the latest technology, unmatched service, and rewarding shopping journeys to its customers.

*Disclaimer: Offers are time-bound and valid only subject to eligibility, availability, and brand guidelines. NeuCoin issuance/redemption is governed by Tata Neu's programme rules. Please check in-store or on Croma.com for the latest details.

About Croma:

Infiniti Retail Ltd. is India’s first large-format electronics retailer in India operating under the brand name Croma. With over 560+ stores across 200+ cities, the company continues to open new stores to expand its presence nationally. Croma offers its customers a world-class ambience to shop both in-store and staged at www.croma.com, and allows for a seamless omnichannel shopping experience. Through its deep integration with the Tata Neu ecosystem, products from Croma are also available on the Tata Neu app and Big Basket. Croma has been featured among the 100 most valuable Indian brands by Brand Finance India 100 report for three years in a row. 

Hero MotoCorp Launches Glamour X With Integrated-ABS Across India

* India’s most tech-forward 125cc motorcycle now combines uncompromised safety with bold new aesthetics

Hero MotoCorp, the world's largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, today announced the launch of the highly anticipated Glamour X with Integrated-ABS. Setting a new industry benchmark, the Glamour X becomes the first motorcycle in 125cc segment to feature Single-Channel ABS paired with an Integrated Braking System (IBS). This feature drastically improves vehicle stability and reduces braking distance, reinforcing Hero MotoCorp’s commitment to democratizing advanced technology and delivering rider-first mobility solutions.

Speaking on the launch, Ashutosh Varma, Chief Business Officer - India Business Unit, Hero MotoCorp, said, "The 125cc segment is witnessing a rapid evolution, with customers increasingly demanding a blend of contemporary styling, advanced technology and uncompromised safety. The Glamour X has already disrupted this space with category-first features including Ride Modes and Cruise Control. By introducing first-in-segment integrated ABS, we are not just upgrading a motorcycle; we are reshaping the safety standards for the entire category. This launch strengthens our portfolio and offers intelligent, future-ready mobility solutions that empower the new-age Indian rider."

Enhanced Safety with ABS

The Glamour X 125 features Integrated Anti-lock Braking System technology for the first time, delivering sharper, more responsive and more assured braking performance across varied road conditions. This adds to the Glamour X's existing safety suite, which includes Panic Brake Alert - fast-flashing LED winkers that instantly alert trailing traffic during emergency braking and Hazard Lamps for signaling emergencies.

Futuristic Styling and Bold Design Language

The Glamour X 125 arrives with a muscular, sculpted design language crafted for riders who want their motorcycle to command attention. It’s Full LED Lighting Package with ‘H’ Signature and sporty graphics give the motorcycle a distinctive on-road presence.

Smart Technology and Connected Riding

Elevating its appeal is a 10.7 cm adaptive multi-colour console that comes with ambient lighting and with over 60 features - including Gear Shift Advisory, Distance-to-Empty and Real-Time Mileage Indicator. Riders stay connected with Bluetooth connectivity, Turn-by-Turn Navigation with ETA display, along with call and SMS alerts, bringing a truly tech-enabled riding experience to the segment.

Performance and Efficiency

The Glamour X 125 with integrated ABS is powered by the Sprint-EBT engine, delivering 11.4 BHP (8.5 kW) at 8250 rpm, engineered for smooth power delivery and low NVH. Riders can also choose between three Ride Modes - Eco, Road and Power, to suit different riding needs. Cruise Control reduces fatigue and improves fuel efficiency on longer journeys.

Convenience and Comfort

Designed for effortless everyday riding, the Glamour X 125 offers a wide handlebar for a relaxed riding posture, a long flat comfortable seat and a low seat height for easy accessibility. Adding to rider convenience is dual under-seat mobile storage along with a C-Type USB charging port.

Colours & Pricing

Complementing its futuristic design, the Glamour X 125 with ABS has been introduced with two new colour options - Gun Metal Grey and Matt Axis Grey in addition to two existing colours – Black Pearl Red and Black Teal Blue, expanding the Glamour X's next-gen colour palette. The new variant is available at Hero MotoCorp dealerships across the country at an attractive price of INR 101000/- (Ex-Showroom, Delhi).

Axis Bank And Hitachi Payment Services Unveil AI-Powered Solutions For Smarter Banking And Merchant Payment Experiences

* Launches Express Banking: Digital Banking Point 2.0 and AI Soundbox with conversational, multilingual and real-time intelligent capabilities

Axis Bank, one of the largest private sector banks in India, in collaboration with Hitachi Payment Services, a leading end-to-end payments and commerce solutions provider, unveiled two AI-powered innovations—Express Banking: Digital Banking Point 2.0 and AI Soundbox.

Extending AI across key customer and merchant touchpoints, Express Banking: Digital Banking Point 2.0 enables customers to access banking services and receive assistance through natural-language interactions, while the AI Soundbox allows merchants to ask payment-related questions by voice and receive real-time responses. Together, the solutions embed conversational intelligence into everyday banking and payment experiences, making them more intuitive, accessible, and connected.

Express Banking: Digital Banking Point 2.0: From navigating screens to having a conversation

Express Banking: India’s first Digital Banking Point was unveiled at Global Fintech Fest 2025. Taking the next leap, Express Banking: Digital Banking Point 2.0 embeds conversational AI into the physical banking experience. The earlier version of the solution has been deployed across high-footfall educational institutions and corporate campuses, including IIM Ahmedabad, Lovely Professional University, Chandigarh Group of Colleges, Capgemini and Sattva Knowledge City. These deployments have validated a scalable, 24x7 branch-lite banking model that brings banking closer to customers where they study and work. The platform has served diverse segments including students, salaried professionals and corporate employees, while reducing dependence on traditional branch formats for everyday banking needs.

With the latest proposition, customers can interact with an AI assistant using natural language, with multilingual capabilities and receive guidance to access services, and fill, validate and complete forms, reducing the need to navigate multiple screens and menus. The solution also incorporates responsible AI principles and built-in guardrails to help ensure interactions remain secure, relevant, and appropriate.

Available in both self-service and assisted modes, Express Banking: Digital Banking Point 2.0 enables services including account opening, instant card issuance, fixed deposit booking, loan applications, utility bill payments, cheque deposits and passbook printing among others. The solution can be customized according to branch layouts, service requirements, and customer journeys.

The enhanced design also improves serviceability and seamlessly integrates with Hitachi Payment Services’ Android-based ecosystem, including Cash Recycling Machines (CRMs), enabling a more connected omnichannel banking experience.

AI Soundbox: From payment notification to intelligent merchant assistant

The new AI Soundbox takes the familiar payment notification device a step further by transforming it into an intelligent, voice-enabled assistant for merchants.

With the press of a button, merchants can ask payment-related questions and receive instant voice responses – for example, “What is my total sale value today?” The service is available in 12 Indian languages, making everyday interactions more convenient for merchants and customers alike across diverse markets.

The AI Soundbox brings proactive intelligence to merchant operations by dynamically adapting to the merchant’s counter environment, optimising power and connectivity, identifying and resolving select operational disruptions on its own. By keeping the device transaction-ready, it helps reduce the risk of missed sales caused by connectivity or device-related issues.

Sanjeev Moghe, Group Head – Branch Banking, South, Axis Bank, said, “At Axis Bank, we are focused on using technology to make everyday banking simpler, smarter and more responsive to customer needs. Developed in collaboration with Hitachi Payment Services, Express Banking: Digital Banking Point 2.0 marks another step towards building more seamless and future-ready banking experiences.”

Vinit Bajaj, Group Head – Acquiring & Cards, Axis Bank, said, “At Axis Bank, we are focused on building solutions that simplify business operations and create meaningful value for merchants. Our partnership with Hitachi Payment Services on the AI Soundbox brings together trusted payments infrastructure and intelligent, voice-led technology to help merchants access business insights, manage daily operations, and transact with greater confidence. This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to making innovation practical, accessible, and impactful for businesses across India.”

Sumil Vikamsey, MD and CEO – Cash Business, Hitachi Payment Services, said, “With Digital Banking Point 2.0, we are bringing conversational AI into the branch banking environment, enabling customers to access banking services with greater ease. Together with Axis Bank, our focus is on creating intelligent, accessible banking touchpoints that bring more services closer to customers while enabling banks to deliver a more connected experience.”

Anuj Khosla, CEO-Digital Business, Hitachi Payment Services, said, “With the AI Soundbox, we are taking merchant payments beyond transactions, transforming the Soundbox into an intelligent assistant at the merchant counter. Together with Axis Bank, our focus is to make AI practical and purposeful—helping merchants spend less time managing technology and more time serving customers and growing their businesses.”

About Axis Bank:

Axis Bank is one of the largest private sector banks in India. Axis Bank offers the entire spectrum of services to customer segments covering Large and Mid-Corporates, SME, Agriculture, and Retail Businesses. It has 6,295 domestic branches (including extension counters) and 12,564 ATMs and cash recyclers spread across the country as on 30th June 2026. The Bank’s Axis Virtual Centre is present across eight centres with 1,700 Virtual Relationship Managers as on 30th June 2026. The Axis Group includes Axis Mutual Fund, Axis Securities Ltd., Axis Finance, Axis Trustee, Axis Capital, A.TReDS Ltd., Freecharge, Axis Pension Fund and Axis Bank Foundation.

For further information on Axis Bank, please refer to the website: https://www.axis.bank.in/

About Hitachi Payment Services:

Hitachi Payment Services is an end-to-end payments and commerce solutions provider empowering banks and fintechs with a comprehensive array of solutions focused on security, reliability and innovation. A pioneer in the Indian payments space, it has over 70,000 ATMs under management (including 40,000 Cash Recycling Machines and 10,200 White Label ATMs). In addition, it manages over 3.5 Mn POS devices and processes over 10 Mn transactions daily. The company is committed to delivering exceptional customer experiences and driving financial inclusion across India.

For more information on Hitachi Payment Services, please visit the company’s website at https://www.hitachi-payments.com/

Antara Care Homes And Actor Priyamani Spotlight The Silent Gap In Senior Recovery With New Campaign

Photo Caption: Actor Priyamani in Antara Care Homes’ latest campaign that spotlights one of the most under-addressed needs of seniors and caregivers: Post-hospitalisation recovery. Photo credit: Antara Senior Care

Antara Care Homes, part of Max India Limited, has joined hands with national award-winning actor Priyamani for its latest digital campaign, “Hospital Discharge Does Not Mean Recovered”, to spotlight one of the most under-addressed needs of seniors and caregivers: Post-hospitalisation recovery.

For seniors recovering from major surgery, acute illness, heart attack and stroke, or other neurological conditions, return from the hospital does not mean a return to everyday life. This transition often carries significant risk of re-hospitalisation and adverse events. Antara Care Homes’ latest digital campaign focuses on this critical gap between hospital discharge and complete recovery, when seniors and their families are emotionally and logistically most vulnerable. It invites families to recognise this important phase of recovery journey and adopt the right support.

Ishaan Khanna, CEO, Antara Assisted Care Services, said, “For a senior and their family, hospital discharge can bring a sense of relief, but it can also mark the beginning of one of the most demanding phases of recovery. Families can find themselves becoming caregivers overnight, managing medication, infections, physiotherapy, mobility and support with activities of daily living without necessarily having the training or resources to do so at home and while juggling professional work. This is where structured post-hospitalisation care, or transition care, can make a meaningful difference. Through this campaign, we want families to recognise that recovery requires planning and care in its own right, and it actually starts with hospital discharge. Antara Care Homes brings together doctor supervision, nursing care, multidisciplinary rehabilitation and technology-enabled interventions. It helps seniors regain good health, strength and independence, while giving caregivers the reassurance of recovery with professional support.”

Strengthening post-acute care in South India

The campaign comes as Antara Care Homes strengthens its presence in South India, with facilities in Bengaluru and Chennai, where a changing demographic demands specialised services to age with dignity and independence.

With its professionally managed post-acute and transition care model, Antara Care Homes offers personalised recovery plans based on individual patient needs and designed under the supervision of the treating doctor. It is supported by PMR-led rehabilitation delivered in state-of-the-art facility with robotic assistance.

An ecosystem for post-hospitalisation care

Antara’s transition care or post-hospitalisation care model caters to patients recovering from stroke, heart attack, organ transplants, spinal cord injury, cancer, major orthopaedic, cardiac and neurological procedures, or severe illness. It provides a structured environment for those who may no longer require acute hospital care but are not yet ready to recover independently at home.

Its care ecosystem includes physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy, round-the-clock nursing and attendant support, doctor supervision and clinical monitoring, recovery-focused nutrition and medication management, in-house pharmacy support, and end-to-end insurance and TPA coordination.

For caregivers, this creates an opportunity to remain closely involved in their loved one’s recovery without having to manage every aspect of rehabilitation and clinical care on their own.

To watch the campaign video, please click here.

About Antara Senior Care

Launched in 2013, Antara is the senior-care business of Max India Limited, part of the USD6.3-billion Max Group. It is an integrated ecosystem for senior care, operating in two main lines of business – Residences for Seniors and Assisted Care Services. Antara’s first senior residential community in Dehradun, comprising nearly 200 families, caters to their social, recreational, educational, wellness, and health-related needs. Its second senior living community in Noida’s Sector-150 has started welcoming families into the 340 apartments built in Phase 1. Expanding its footprint in Gurugram, Antara will manage senior living residences, dedicated spaces for senior living, and primary healthcare services at Estate 360 and Estate 361, developed by group company Max Estates. Antara’s Assisted Care Services include Care Homes and Services, AGEasy, and Antara Integrated Wellness Clinic. This line of business caters to seniors, who need more immersive interventions in their daily lives due to medical or age-related issues. With eight facilities and 485 beds across Gurugram, Noida, Bengaluru and Chennai, Care Homes provide long-term care to seniors who require constant medical and nursing supervision, and short-term care services for recuperation of seniors. Its care at home services, offered in Delhi NCR, Bengaluru and Chennai, provide well-equipped, trained professionals offering care to seniors inside their home’s comfort. AGEasy, the direct-to-consumer business arm focusing on senior-specific products and solutions for active ageing, has touched over 9 lakh lives since inception in 2023. Antara Integrated Wellness Clinic combines modern medicine with evidence-based traditional therapies through a multidisciplinary team of doctors to deliver personalised care plans.

Instagram Launches New Feature To Add Tagged Posts Directly To Your Profile Grid

Your profile is how you express yourself on Instagram, and now you can bring your favorite group photos, creator collaborations, and memories front and center, giving you more control over your profile and the moments you want to show off.

You can add a tagged post to your main grid in three ways:

• From the DM notification you receive when you’re tagged

• From the three-dot menu on a post you’re tagged in

• By pressing and holding a post in your Tagged tab

Once added, tagged posts will appear on your main grid in reverse-chronological order by default, unless you reorder your grid. You can remove a tagged post from your main grid at any time without deleting the original post or removing it from your Tagged tab.

Google Trends, Breakout Drinks, And AI - What’s Brewing?

Walk into any café these days and the menu feels a little different. India’s urban beverage scene has quietly turned into an experimental playground. Matcha still holds its green ground, but purple ube lattes are now appearing next to it, and the roasted, nutty notes of Hōjicha are starting to win their own regulars. These distinctive, slightly functional drinks are no longer niche.

Google Trends shows how people in India are gradually diversifying their sips. Here are the latest trends (as of end August 2026). People are not just ordering these drinks. They are learning how to make them, mixing them with unexpected flavours, and letting the colours spill into the rest of their lives. So what are you sipping on among these three right now?

A few signals that stood out:

Matcha remains the biggest conversation starter: “How to make matcha” has jumped 1,300% over the past year, and searches for matcha whisks and bowls broke out in August 2026. At the same time, the flavour has jumped categories: matcha shoes, matcha enzyme scrub, matcha candles, face wash and perfume all appeared as strong or breakout queries.

Ube, the sweet purple yam, hit an all-time search high in August 2026: Hyderabad and Telangana are leading the national interest, with people actively looking for ube latte, ube café, ube matcha and ube coconut combinations.

Hōjicha reached its own all-time high in March 2026 and saw another breakout surge in August 2026: Searches for “hojicha vs matcha” hit breakout growth, while “what is hojicha” and “hojicha latte” continue to climb as more people discover the roasted alternative.

This tells us a simple story. Indians are expanding their daily sip list beyond the familiar, and the next wave is already visible in both Google Search and on café counters.

And once curiosity kicks in, AI can help take the journey further - from comparing Matcha, Ube and Hōjicha in AI Mode in Search, to finding local spots with Ask Maps, to getting hands-free guidance from Gemini Live while making your own cup.

Curious to see where the rabbit hole goes? We’ve got the full story on the blog, some visual assets to bring the trends to life, and the Gupshup with Google video if you fancy a watch.

36 Young Indian Innovators Take Their Ideas To The National Stage With Samsung Solve For Tomorrow 2026

* Top 20 finalists represent the most promising tech & AI solutions, with more than half coming from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities

* Participants will advance to Grand Finale, with continued mentorship from FITT-IIT Delhi and Samsung experts, and exposure to the startup ecosystem through an Investor Meet

* Finalists will receive a cumulative grant of INR 20 lakh and a Samsung smartphone for each participant for prototype enhancement

Samsung India today announced the Top 20 finalists of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2026, a programme that combines technology and education to help youth grow into future leaders with creative thinking and problem-solving skills.

A global problem-solving platform, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow helps youth around the world use STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) to build a better future. Participants identify problems in their communities and develop creative solutions with the help of technology.

In its fifth edition, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2026 is bringing together young innovators from across India who are turning problems they see around them into technology-led solutions. More than half of the participants in the Top 20 come from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, with the finalists representing 18 cities across 12 states – reflecting how youth-led innovation is expanding beyond India’s traditional technology hubs.

“What stands out about this year’s Top 20 is not just the technology they are building, but the problems they have chosen to solve. Young innovators from across India are looking closely at challenges in their own communities – from accessibility and healthcare to agriculture, pollution and sport – and asking how technology can make a difference. Samsung Solve for Tomorrow gives them the opportunity, mentorship and resources to take an idea rooted in a local need and build it into a solution with the potential to create wider impact,” said SP Chun, Corporate Vice President, Samsung South West Asia.

A defining trend among this year’s finalists is the focus on making technology more useful and accessible. Across the four themes – AI Living for India, Environmental Sustainability, Health and Education, and Sport & Tech – young innovators are applying AI, computer vision, sensors, voice technology and low-cost wearables to challenges ranging from low literacy and disability access to agricultural waste, pollution, neurological health and para-sports.

Several solutions are being designed for people who have traditionally had limited access to technology. These include an offline AI application that explains complex documents to people with low literacy, real-time Indian Sign Language translation, a voice-first learning companion for visually impaired students, technology to anticipate sensory meltdowns among children with autism, and assistive technologies to help visually impaired swimmers train more independently. Other finalists are tackling environmental challenges through ideas that seek to convert agricultural residue into clean energy and useful carbon materials, reduce textile waste and construction-site pollution, and mitigate human-wildlife conflict.

The geographical spread of the Top 20 reflects this expanding innovation map. Finalists come from Sundargarh in Odisha, Chittoor and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, Raebareli and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, Amritsar and SAS Nagar in Punjab, Sonipat in Haryana and Raipur in Chhattisgarh, alongside Bengaluru, Chennai, Coimbatore, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai.

The Top 20 teams emerged from a semi-final phase that brought together 40 teams for an experiential, hands-on Prototyping Programme conducted in collaboration with FITT-IIT Delhi. Through Innovation Bootcamp, the teams worked with mentors to strengthen their solutions, better understand the people they were designing for and gain practical exposure to the innovation process.

As part of the Bootcamp, the teams also visited Samsung Design Delhi (SDD), Samsung R&D Institute India – Noida (SRI-N), Samsung R&D Institute India – Delhi (SRI-D), Samsung R&D Institute India – Bengaluru (SRI-B) and Samsung’s Head Office in Gurugram, gaining exposure to Samsung’s approach to design, technology, innovation and Research & Development.

The journey culminated in a National Pitch Event, where 20 experts comprising mentors from Samsung R&D and Samsung South West Asia evaluated the teams and selected five finalists from each of the four themes.

Meet the Top 20

AI Living for India

4 Percentage – Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu: MicroLearning AI, a voice-first multilingual platform that converts complex healthcare and government-scheme information into simple spoken micro-lessons in Indian languages.

itzFOD – Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh: VaakSetu, an offline mobile application that uses AI to read documents such as loan papers, land deeds, FIRs and hospital forms and explain them in simple spoken language.

JARVISS – Chennai, Tamil Nadu: SafePath AI, a smartphone and IoT-assisted platform that uses AI and sensor data to detect road hazards, assess their severity and provide safer-route recommendations.

QuantHunt – Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh: An AI-based cybersecurity solution designed to identify encryption vulnerabilities and help organisations prepare their digital systems for emerging quantum-computing risks.

SignBridge AI – Kolkata, West Bengal: An AI-powered platform that translates Indian Sign Language into text and speech in real time, helping improve communication in schools, hospitals, workplaces and public spaces.

Environmental Sustainability

AeroShield – New Delhi: A low-cost construction debris net, designed to capture and degrade airborne pollutants while integrating with existing scaffolding.

AgriVolt – Amritsar, Punjab: AgriVolt Carbon AI, which aims to use agricultural residue to generate electricity and recover biochar and other carbon-rich materials while reducing emissions.

IndieJeanous – Mumbai, Maharashtra: A circular denim initiative that converts discarded denim and textile scraps into lifestyle products while creating livelihood opportunities for women artisans.

InnoBotix – New Delhi: Sentinel, a solar-powered AI edge device that uses cameras, radar and seismic data to detect wildlife approaching human settlements and provide early warnings.

KINVA BIO – Sonipat, Haryana: An AI-based platform that seeks to optimise the production of protein-rich mycoprotein from sugarcane bagasse using bioreactors.

Health and Education

404NotFound – Bengaluru, Karnataka: StepSense, a sensor and edge-AI system that turns footwear into a gait-monitoring platform to identify indicators associated with fall risk, neuropathy, fatigue and other health conditions.

Equinox – New Delhi: SARA AI, a voice-first study companion that enables visually impaired students to access textbooks, explanations, quizzes and personalised learning support without relying on a screen or keyboard.

morphism – Raipur, Chhattisgarh: An AI system designed to help autistic individuals better understand emotions by analysing subtle facial expressions and other behavioural signals.

NeuroTrace – SAS Nagar, Punjab: A smartphone-based AI solution for post-stroke monitoring that analyses changes in voice, facial movement and reaction time to identify potential neurological deterioration.

VB SenseGuard – New Delhi: Sense Guard, a low-cost AI wearable designed to identify physiological patterns associated with sensory meltdowns in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and provide caregivers with early alerts.

Sport & Tech

Code Blooded – Sundargarh, Odisha: ParaSync, an AI-powered platform that analyses smartphone videos of para-athletes to assess sporting technique, track progress and help connect talent from underserved regions with scouts.

Para-athlete swimming solution – Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh: A wearable navigation system that detects when visually impaired swimmers veer from their intended direction and provides haptic cues for course correction.

Rogue – Chennai, Tamil Nadu: NeuroStride, an AI-powered wearable that seeks to distinguish involuntary Parkinson’s tremors from intentional muscle movement and provide targeted electrical stimulation.

Somatrace – Hyderabad, Telangana: A wearable IoT training tool that measures spinal angles and load during training to help precision-sport athletes and coaches better understand injury risk.

Untethered – Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh: Smart swimming goggles using ultrasonic sensing and haptic feedback to warn visually impaired swimmers as they approach the pool wall.

Taking Solutions to the Next Stage

The Top 20 finalists will now receive continued mentorship from Samsung experts and FITT-IIT Delhi as they prepare for the Grand Finale on October 14 and 15.

The Grand Finale will feature the final pitch presentations, followed by an Investor Meet for all Top 20 teams. The interaction will give the young innovators an opportunity to engage with the startup and investment ecosystem and understand the next steps involved in developing their solutions further

The competition will culminate in the Winner Announcement and Awards Ceremony. The Top 20 teams will receive a cumulative grant of INR 20 lakh for prototype development, with INR 1 lakh awarded to each team. All 36 participants in the Top 20 will also receive the latest Samsung Galaxy Z Flip smartphone. Four winning teams – one from each theme – will collectively receive an incubation grant of INR 2 crore from Samsung through FITT-IIT Delhi. The incubation support will help the winning teams further develop and validate their solutions while exploring their potential to evolve into market-ready ventures.

The programme will also recognise participants through special awards at the Grand Finale, including the Digital Impact Award of INR 50,000 and two Community Choice Awards of INR 1 lakh each.

Guided by its global CSR vision, “Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People,” Samsung India is committed to empowering young Indians through its focus on Smart Education and Skilling Youth, providing equal access to the knowledge, skills and resources needed to shape a better future.

Find the full list to the Top 20 finalists here