vivo India Announces Top 10 Educators Under the National Teacher Innovation Fellowship, to Be Felicitated at the vivo Ignite 2026 National Finale for STEM Innovation

• 10 educators from 6 states, 1 UT selected from 200+ applications received across 14 states and 26 districts
• Fellows bring expertise across AI, robotics, computer science, maker education and inclusive STEM learning
• Selected educators will be felicitated at the vivo Ignite 4.0 National Finale at Bharath Mandapam, New Delhi on October 28, 2026

vivo India, the innovative smartphone brand, has announced 10 Teacher Innovation Fellows under the 4^th edition of vivo Ignite 2026, recognising educators who are going beyond conventional classroom learning to nurture curiosity, experimentation, problem-solving and innovation among students.

Introduced as a new component of vivo Ignite 4.0, the National Teacher Innovation Fellowship (NTIF) aims to strengthen the STEM education ecosystem by recognising teachers’ contributions in experiential learning, innovative pedagogy, problem-solving and inclusive classroom practices.

The fellowship received more than 200 applications from across India, with 30 educators progressing to the interview stage. Following a rigorous evaluation, 10 educators from 6 states, 1 UT and 10 districts were selected. The evaluation assessed four areas: Innovation in Teaching Practice; Inclusive and Adaptive Teaching; Real-World Impact and STEM Application; and Vision, Leadership and Scale.

The evaluation panel comprised nine experts and academicians from the education, STEM and innovation ecosystem, including representatives from IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies, Science Olympiad Foundation, among others.

Geetaj Channana, Chief Corporate Communications Officer, vivo India, said, “Teachers play a critical role in shaping how students experience innovation; encouraging them to question, experiment and apply their learning to real-world challenges. Through the National Teacher Innovation Fellowship, we wanted to honour and acknowledge educators who are creating such learning environments and enabling students to think beyond the classroom. The diversity of the 10 fellows and the approaches they have developed across different classroom contexts demonstrate that innovation does not have to be limited by resources or geography. By recognising and celebrating these educators, vivo Ignite aims to contribute to a stronger culture of experiential and inclusive learning, while creating a ripple effect that can inspire many more young innovators.”

Meet the Top Teachers under National Teacher Innovation Fellowship

R. Chandrasekaran | Tamil Nadu | Science & Mathematics

Runs the ‘Your Problem, Your Solution’ programme, encouraging tribal students in the Kolli Hills to develop solutions to challenges in their communities. His work has reached 10,000+ students and supported 72 student projects.

S Mani | Assam | Physics

Founded ‘Akashavidyalaya – Sky School of India’, taking astronomy beyond textbooks through solar studies, asteroid searches and instrument-building. His initiatives have reached 2,000+ students and members of the wider public across 11 schools.

Nitesh Kumar | Haryana | AI, Robotics & IoT

Uses a ‘Problem-to-Prototype’ approach that takes students through the innovation cycle from identifying a problem to developing solutions. His work has reached 10,000 students and 500 projects, with students participating in platforms including VEX World Championship and ISEF.

C. Manikyam Reddy | Tamil Nadu | Physics

Uses the ‘Enrich the Soil’ hands-on, experiential approach to make physics more engaging and application-oriented. His low-cost, 21st-century experiments challenge students to think and solve problems creatively, reaching over 1,000 students and mentoring around 20 projects.

Neeru Mittal | Delhi | STEM & Maker Education

Runs ‘Masti ki Prayogshala’, where students design, build and refine solutions to everyday problems. Her work has reached 4,000+ students, including 1,800 girls, and generated 250+ innovations.

Sadhana Kaushik | Uttar Pradesh | STEM / Atal Tinkering Lab

Developed an ‘Idea-to-Impact’ pipeline that enables students to identify problems, apply design thinking, prototype and refine solutions, helping embed innovation across the school.

Periyasamy P | Tamil Nadu | STEM, Robotics & AI

Focuses on STEM, robotics and AI-based learning, using hands-on approaches to encourage students to explore technology and problem-solving.

Lalit Mohan Sahu | Telangana | Science, Mathematics & Music

A 25-year teaching veteran who uses his ‘Rhythmic STEM’ approach to make science and mathematics more accessible through music. He also works with visually impaired students to support their participation in national and international platforms.

Nita Chandrashekhar Javale | Maharashtra | Computer Science & Atal Tinkering Lab

Combines computer science and Atal Tinkering Lab-based learning to create opportunities for students to explore technology through hands-on innovation.

Ekta Sharma | Uttar Pradesh | Science & Physics

Uses experiential approaches in science and physics to encourage curiosity, experimentation and application-based learning.

Together, the fellows reflect the fellowship’s focus on experiential learning, inclusive practices and real-world problem-solving, demonstrating how teachers can create opportunities for students to become active learners and innovators.

The selected fellows will be felicitated at the vivo Ignite 4.0 National Finale at Bharath Mandapam, New Delhi on October 28, 2026, alongside student innovators, educators, experts and other stakeholders from the innovation ecosystem.

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About vivo

vivo is a technology company that creates great products based on a user-oriented value, with smart devices and intelligent services as its core. The company aims to build a bridge between humans and the digital world. Through unique creativity, vivo provides users with an increasingly convenient mobile and digital life. Following the company’s core values, which include Benfen*, user-orientation, design-driven value, continuous learning and team spirit, vivo has implemented a sustainable development strategy with the vision of developing into a healthier, more sustainable world-class corporation.

While bringing together and developing the best local talents to deliver excellence, vivo is supported by a network of R&D centers in Shenzhen, Dongguan, Nanjing, Beijing, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Xi’an and more cities, focusing on the development of state-of-the-art consumer technologies, including 5G, artificial intelligence, industrial design, imaging system and other up-and-coming technologies. vivo has also set up an intelligent manufacturing network (including those authorized by vivo), with an annual production capacity of nearly 200 million smartphones. As of now, vivo has branched out its sales network across more than 60 countries and regions, and is loved by nearly 600 million users worldwide.

*“Benfen” is a term describing the attitude on doing the right things and doing things right – which is the ideal description of vivo’s mission to create value for society.

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