Press Release – Global Scholar Quest India Finale (31 August 2026)

Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) concluded the inaugural India chapter of its Global Scholar Quest (GSQ) programme with a grand finale held in Mumbai on 31 August 2026. The winning team, named BioFrigid, comprised three students – Dhruv Bora, Shlok Goel and Yugandhara Gaikwad – from Chatrabhuj Narsee School, Amanora (Pune). Their project, the BioFrigid Box, is a grid‑independent, energy‑efficient cold‑storage solution designed for agriculture and food systems; it can maintain a temperature range of 10 °C to 15 °C for up to 96 hours.

Prizes and Funding

The jury awarded BioFrigid ₹1,00,000 in cash prize, access to a USD 50,000 RIT scholarship pool, and seed money of ₹1,00,000 to further develop the prototype. In addition, all finalists received electronic gadgets – a MacBook, an iPad, and Bose headphones – to support their studies.

Competition Landscape

Fourteen finalist teams were selected from leading Indian school boards, including Sanjay Ghodawat International School, Pragyan School, DPS International, Shiv Nadar Vidyagyan School, Mahatma Gandhi International School and Omkar Cambridge International. The projects spanned eight innovation tracks: climate and sustainability; AI and the future of work; healthcare and bio‑innovation; energy and infrastructure; agriculture and food systems; education transformation; urban and smart cities; social impact and inclusion; environment and pollution; and emerging technologies.

Mentorship and Evaluation

Prior to the finale, shortlisted teams participated in two to four inquiry‑led mentorship sessions with Dr. M. A. Rehman, physicist at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), and other industry specialists. The mentorship focused on testing assumptions, responding to expert questioning and addressing practical implementation challenges.

The jury evaluated projects on problem relevance, originality, clarity of thinking, feasibility and potential real‑world impact. Dr. S. Manian Ramkumar, Dean, College of Engineering Technology at RIT, highlighted the teams’ ability to move from idea to tested solution. Kathleen B. Davis, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Associate Provost at RIT, and Elizabeth Sullivan, Associate Vice President for Enrollment Marketing and Global Strategic Initiatives at RIT, emphasized the importance of early‑stage experiential learning and the breadth of issues tackled by the students.

Programme Structure

The India chapter ran from May to August 2026 through a four‑level journey: a 60‑minute centralized online screening, followed by team formation, submission of an ≈800‑word concept note and a three‑minute video. Shortlisted teams then received mentorship before presenting prototypes at the Mumbai finale.

Strategic Context

GSQ builds on RIT’s Tiger STRIPES initiative, extending hands‑on experiential learning into Indian classrooms and allowing RIT to engage with prospective students before university admission. The competition showcased solutions ranging from post‑harvest loss mitigation to urban heat mapping and autonomous railway safety systems, underscoring the diverse problem‑solving capacity of Indian youth.

Disclaimer: The press release is provided under an arrangement with NRDPL; PTI assumes no editorial responsibility.