Government Promotes ‘Vocal for Local’ Through Buildathon 2025 for School Students

The Indian Ministry of Education has launched a nationwide initiative called the Viksit Bharat Buildathon 2025, aimed at promoting innovation and the “Vocal for Local” movement among school students. The program seeks to encourage young learners to develop skills in problem-solving, design thinking, and entrepreneurship while fostering a sense of self-reliance and national pride. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan officially announced the initiative, emphasizing the importance of engaging students in creative and meaningful activities that align with India’s broader vision of innovation and sustainable development.

The Buildathon targets students from classes 6 to 12, providing them an opportunity to register and participate in both school-level innovation activities and a larger national-level live innovation event scheduled for October 13, 2025. The national live event will last for 120 minutes and is designed to showcase student projects, ideas, and prototypes to a wider audience, providing recognition and encouragement to participants. The initiative promotes teamwork, collaboration, and hands-on learning, as students will participate in groups of 5-7 members, allowing them to pool diverse skills and perspectives while developing their ideas.

Participants will work on four thematic areas that represent key pillars of India’s development agenda. The first theme, “Vocal for Local,” encourages students to create solutions that promote local products, resources, and indigenous knowledge. This initiative aligns with India’s broader goal of strengthening domestic production and supporting local industries. The second theme, “Swadeshi,” focuses on fostering indigenous ideas, knowledge systems, and innovations, enabling students to explore traditional practices and integrate them with modern technologies. The third theme, “Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” is aimed at building self-reliant systems, tools, and solutions that can reduce dependence on external resources while addressing local and national challenges. Finally, “Samriddh Bharat” challenges students to create pathways to prosperity and sustainable development, emphasizing long-term thinking, environmental responsibility, and social impact.

To support student participation, a dedicated online portal will provide comprehensive learning resources, instructional videos, and toolkits. These materials are designed to guide students through the ideation, design, and prototype development stages, ensuring they have access to the knowledge and resources needed to execute their projects effectively. In addition, mentorship will be provided by experts from incubation centers, higher education institutions, and corporate partners. These mentors will offer guidance on technical, creative, and logistical aspects of project development, helping students refine their ideas and translate them into practical prototypes.

The Buildathon emphasizes not just competition but also skill development, creativity, and innovation. By participating, students gain valuable experience in problem-solving, collaboration, design, and presentation, which are crucial skills for future academic and professional pursuits. The initiative also reinforces the Indian government’s broader policy priorities, including promoting local products, fostering self-reliance, and nurturing a culture of innovation among youth.

The program’s structure, combining school-level activities with a national live event, ensures that students from across the country can participate, share their innovations, and be recognized for their efforts. It creates an ecosystem where young innovators are encouraged to think critically, develop solutions with real-world applications, and gain confidence in their abilities. Through Viksit Bharat Buildathon 2025, the Education Ministry aims to cultivate a generation of students who are creative, self-reliant, and committed to contributing positively to India’s socio-economic and technological development.

Overall, the initiative represents a strategic effort to integrate education, innovation, and national development goals, while instilling a sense of pride and purpose among India’s youth, preparing them to become future leaders and innovators.