Shell’s ‘Changemakers of Tomorrow 2024’: Revolutionary Ideas, From Seed Sowing Shoes to Biofuel Robots

This article is sponsored by Shell India 

Imagine sharing your groundbreaking ideas on a Shark Tank-style pitching stage, with just five minutes to impress the judges. Sounds like a dream, right? Well, that dream became a reality for five amazing student teams from Shell’s NXplorers programme who showcased their innovative ideas at Shell’s ‘Changemakers of Tomorrow’ event.

Designed to bring together diverse young minds to tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges, the Shell NXplorers programme is a global initiative aimed at fostering critical thinking, problem-solving, and STEM skills among young people. In the past five years, the programme has empowered over 3,00,000 students in government and low-income private schools across the states of Delhi NCR, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Kerala.

These young trailblazers proved that as the world moves towards a low-carbon future, it is the youth leading the charge. Students, as young as 10 years old, are developing remarkable innovations that have the potential to shape the future. All these future leaders need is good mentorship and a platform to showcase their talents.

Held on 9 September, 2024, in Bengaluru, the event not only served as a platform for presenting ideas but also celebrated youth innovation and collaboration. It emphasised practical efforts that both companies and individuals can make towards a sustainable future. The event was inaugurated by Shri Madhu Bangarappa, Minister for Primary & Secondary Education, Karnataka, and IAS officer Gaurav Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary, Energy and Water Resources, Karnataka. It also brought together key experts, Shell partners, industry leaders, and innovators to design unique solutions for the future of energy.

L-R: Selda Gunsel, CTO, EVP – Technology, Shell; Latika Taneja, Head of Corporate Relations, Shell India; Pratibha Priyadarshini, VP – HR, Shell India; Robbert Van Rutten, EVP, IDT, CIO, Shell; Madhu Bangarappa, Minister for Primary & Secondary Education; and Mansi Tripathy, Country Chair, Shell India.

Mansi Madan Tripathy, Chairperson, Shell Group of Companies in India, highlighted the role of India’s youth in actively engineering a sustainable energy future. She said, “This event spotlights the extraordinary potential and ingenuity of our next generation, who are poised to redefine the energy landscape in India. At Shell, our goal is to equip these innovators with tools, knowledge and support to drive transformative change. With this event, we are turning our vision into reality, ensuring a balanced transition to meet today’s energy needs while building the energy system of the future through technological innovations.”

A Shark Tank for a sustainable future

The highlight of the event was undoubtedly the NXplorers Showcase and pitching competition, where 10 exceptional student teams presented their innovative solutions to tackle pressing challenges in the areas of food, energy, and water.

Students explaining their projects to the minister.

Each team showcased their prototypes in dedicated booths, using posters, videos, and interactive displays that captivated the audience.

The solutions developed by these children included:

• River Garbage Extraction Boat — Automated river cleaning using a treadmill arrangement.
• Bio Bloom Investigator — A robotic machine designed to detect, segregate, and harness algae for the production of biofuels, cosmetics, and other valuable products.
• Seed Sowing Shoes — Helps farmers sow seeds efficiently by just walking on the farmlands.
• PCR-WattWatch — A ranking system of households based on power consumption to help reduce high electricity bills due to inefficient use of electricity.
• Eco Pencil — A pencil made from food waste to reduce environmental impact.

Out of the 10 teams, five were selected for an exciting NXplorers pitching held in the afternoon. These teams competed for the top spot with five-minute presentations, followed by a Q&A session with the judges. The panel included Celine Mahieux, VP of Power Technology & Innovation Excellence at Shell; Chandru Iyer, British Deputy High Commissioner to Karnataka and Kerala; and Anirban Badhuri, Principal Researcher in Computational Life Sciences at Shell.

The ‘Seed sowing shoes’ project.

The team from Modern School & Junior College, Vashi, Navi Mumbai won the NXplorers pitching for their project ‘Bio Blooms Investigators’. The young innovators developed a solution to address a significant threat to marine life: harmful algal blooms (HABs). HABs are overgrown colonies of algae that produce toxic effects, endangering marine life and humans. The duo designed a robot capable of detecting and segregating algae, while utilising the beneficial types to create valuable products like biofuels and cosmetics. The robot would also remove the HABs from the surface of seawater, allowing sunlight to penetrate deeper into the ocean.

Madhu Bangarappa also interacted with the students and was spellbound by the brilliance and creativity of the young minds. “Shell’s commitment to nurturing talent is commendable and as Karnataka strives to become a hub for knowledge and technological advancements, such initiatives will help equip the youth with the mindset and skills necessary to create a more resilient energy future,” he said.

These young changemakers have shown how we can create a meaningful impact today. Through its NXplorers programme, Shell India is partnering with these future leaders to shape a more sustainable and low-carbon future — both for the company and the world at large.

Edited by Pranita Bhat