Innovation took centre stage once again at the La Trobe University Technology Infusion Grand Challenge (TIGC) 2025 awards ceremony. Each year bright minds in Asia, driven by creativity and fresh perspectives, propose solutions to address problems in their communities. The promise of an all-expense paid mentoring stay in Melbourne at La Trobe means the year-long competition is tough. Each participant has access to the TIGC platform where innovation is nurtured, refined, and transformed under the guidance of mentors, international faculty and industry experts to develop their idea into a solution which works and has impact.
Starting in January 2025, 137 teams from 11 universities in India had entered the competition. 61 teams developed their pitch which was submitted for judging. 26 finalists received an investment of anywhere from $200-$750 AUD to help build their prototype. From August to November 2025 the teams built their prototypes, with 24 teams submitting their final prototype video in December for final judging.
After months of rigorous evaluation, ten teams were shortlisted for the final stage of TIGC 2025. From these finalists, the runners-up and the overall winner were selected. The top five teams that emerged as finalists were: Team Desperado, Team Drishtikon, Team FutureMobility Squad, Team IgniteX, and Team NeuroBloom.
The hybrid event to announce the winners took place in Delhi on 19 May 2026, bringing the top five teams together to receive their award in-person. Dr Ruth Gamble, Director - La Trobe Asia, provided the guest address where she reflected on how much India has changed since her first visit as an 18-year old more than a couple of decades ago. Ruth asked the students to think about how technological changes bring benefits, but at the same time noted they can inadvertently create new problems that need fixing, or as she put it, "fixes to fix the fixes". She finished by reminding them to consider how their future work in technology works for people and societies. You can view the event recording here.
The overall winner of the TIGC 2025 was Team IgniteX from Pimpri Chinchwad College of Engineering for their innovative project, Multisensor Wearable for Skin Disease Detection Using Deep Learning Algorithms. The team: Payal Pawar, Mayuri Risawade, and Aishwarya Marathe, developed a portable and affordable multisensory wearable device capable of detecting and diagnosing various skin diseases through deep learning technology. Designed to improve accessibility to healthcare, especially in rural and remote communities with limited access to dermatologists, the solution has the potential to make early diagnosis and treatment more accessible and efficient. As winners, Team IgniteX will soon travel to Melbourne on an all-expense-paid two-week mentorship program where they will collaborate with experts at La Trobe University to further develop and refine their innovation.
"Innovation begins with an idea but is executed through persistence…. We had challenges but we overcame them. We wish to thank the organisers of the Challenge, along with our mentor and university for supporting us," said Payal Pawar when receiving the award. Mayuri Risawade added, "This award will motivate us to continue innovating and working on solutions that can create real impact in society." Unfortunately Aishwarya Marathe was unable to attend the event.
Congratulations to the other teams who were awarded cash prizes to share amongst the team members:
1st Runner-Up 100,000INR
Team NeuroBloom – Dr. D.Y. Patil Institute of Technology
Team Members: Kartik Kumbhar, Ajit Paraskar, Hitesh Khare
Equal 2nd Runner-Up 50,000INR
Team Desperado – KCG College of Technology
Team Members: Iyaad Luqman K, Mohamad Shuhail G, Mudhassir Habeeb K M, Rithika SK
Equal 2nd Runner-Up 50,000INR
Team Drishtikon – Pimpri Chinchwad College of Engineering
Team Members: Amruta Kothawade, Omkar Kulkarni, Soham Joshi, Sakshi Jadhav, Darpan Neve
People’s Choice Award 100,000INR
Team FutureMobility Squad – Dr. D.Y. Patil Institute of Technology
Team Members: Soham Sahasrabudhe, Atharv Kulkarni, Shubham Darekar
The results of the TIGC 2025 again highlight the remarkable creativity, passion, and problem-solving abilities of young innovators across Asia, showcasing how student-led ideas can create meaningful impact for society.
For more information about the Technology Infusion Grand Challenge click here.
