From Classrooms to Changemakers: vivo’s Commitment to Empowering India’s Youth

For decades, the Indian education system has prized academic rigor and theory – but the world beyond classrooms is evolving at a pace textbooks cannot match. Triggered by global shifts such as the COVID-19 pandemic and a rapidly transforming economy, the demand for education that fosters hands-on learning, interdisciplinary thinking, and purpose-driven innovation has never been more urgent.

Today’s classrooms are centers of innovation and students are creators, problem-solvers, and digital natives. They consider classroom spaces that enable them to explore their creativity, test entrepreneurial ideas, and build digital fluency. India is home to a vibrant and growing youth population, with over 382 million individuals aged 10-24 which is 26% of total population¹.

With India witnessing a digital revolution, alternate learning pathways are becoming central to economic and social progress. India has already emerged as the third-largest start-up ecosystem in the world², with over 1.5 lakh ventures started by young entrepreneurs³. Government backed programs promoting STEM education and innovation at school level provides 10,000 Atal Innovation Mission which caters more than 1 Crore children further growing to 50,000 additional AIM across the country pushing young leaders to go beyond rote learning — to ideate, build, and lead.

Students today are gravitating towards experiences that encourage critical thinking, skill development and most importantly building confidence to navigate through complex challenges. This juncture – where potential meets innovation – presents a crucial opportunity to reimagine the future of education in India.

A Catalyst of Change for India’s Young Changemakers

As this shift accelerates, there’s a powerful movement unfolding in India, where learning extends beyond classrooms and students are transitioning into innovators – allowing them to code, indulge in design thinking and get hands on with various experimentations.

It was amidst this expanding ecosystem that vivo India posed a key question – how could a brand like vivo India meaningfully contribute?

Recognizing its position as a global innovative brand deeply rooted in the country’s digital journey, vivo saw an opportunity and a responsibility to empower young changemakers with the tools and confidence to re-imagine solutions to real life challenges.

Launched in 2022, vivo Ignite reflects this commitment. Designed to fuel curiosity, spark collaboration, and champion real-world innovation, it invites students to think boldly and act impactfully. Importantly, it extends opportunity to places where platforms for innovation are often scarce — tier II and III cities — unlocking talent that might otherwise remain untapped.

The vivo Ignite: Technology and Innovation Initiative has now evolved into a nationwide movement, reaching students across India and engaging over 37,000 young minds from 9000 schools in 660+ districts. Each year has witnessed a steady rise in participation, with student projects addressing challenges ranging from clean energy and affordable healthcare to smart learning solutions. What stands out is that a significant number of finalists hail from tier II and tier II demographics, signaling the program’s growing impact in leveling the playing field.

Through strategic collaborations with leading institutions like CIET-NCERT, IITM Pravartak Technologies Foundation, and the UN Global Compact Network India, vivo Ignite offers more than inspiration — it delivers a pan India platform for innovation, provide opportunity to students to collaborate and ideate, provide state of art mentorship, hands-on workshops, and access to expert ecosystems. Students don’t just pitch ideas — they build prototypes, test assumptions, and see their solutions take shape. The best 10 ideas across the country are acknowledged and scholarships provided to further support their innovation journey.

At a time when India’s future hinges on innovation-driven growth, vivo is committed to supporting the young minds that will power that journey. It’s not just about transcending smartphones — it’s about scaling impact where it matters most giving equal importance to not only to our products but equally towards the purpose for our existence.

Levelling Up to Transcending Beyond Smartphones

vivo envisions scaling the program and reaching children in rural areas specifically, providing opportunities to girls to become torch bearer of STEM, by deepening its engagement with the government, school ecosystem and further expanding access of each of the children of the country studying in class 8th to 12th.

As India continues to reimagine its approach to education and innovation, vivo Ignite stands as a powerful reminder: when young minds are given the right tools and trust, they don’t just imagine the future — they build it.