Vadodara: What began as a school project inspired by the tragic 2024 Rajkot fire has now taken two city students to the global stage. Their innovative firefighting robot, ‘Pralay Shamak’, has won the inaugural World Robot Olympiad (WRO) Stem entrepreneur programme (Step).Jainil Patel and Jayvardhan Israni of Navrachana Vidyani Vidyalaya emerged winners among 22 champion teams representing more than 13 countries, pitching their innovation before an international panel in a format resembling a global Shark Tank. The inaugural WRO Step was held in Hyderabad on Monday, bringing together young innovators from across the world to present technology-driven solutions to real-world challenges.The idea for ‘Pralay Shamak’ was born in the aftermath of the May 2024 TRP Game Zone fire in Rajkot, which claimed 27 lives. Jayvardhan, who witnessed the aftermath of the tragedy during a visit to the city, began thinking about how technology could reduce the risks faced by firefighters and others entering burning or hazardous structures.The students, then in Class VIII, developed the robotic firefighting and emergency-response system under the mentorship of Mukesh Bind. Their innovation soon gained national recognition through the School Innovation Marathon, organised by Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog and UNICEF YuWaah (a multi-stakeholder platform aiming to help youth transition from learning to earning).The journey from a classroom idea to an industrial prototype was marked by several milestones. From more than two lakh student submissions nationwide, ‘Pralay Shamak’ advanced to the top 1,500, then the top 200, before being selected among the top 20 projects for industrial product development. The ministry of education’s innovation cell subsequently approved Rs 1.5 lakh to help develop an industrial prototype.At WRO Step, Jainil and Jayvardhan took the project a step further. Their presentation went beyond the technology itself, covering market opportunity, business model, scalability and potential social impact.Their research and interactions with potential customers also highlighted the key challenge of affordability. The students found that the cost of autonomous firefighting systems could be a major barrier to their wider adoption, particularly in industrial and other high-risk environments.‘Pralay Shamak’ has also moved beyond the realm of student competitions. The innovation was invited as a special guest at the 77th Republic Day celebrations by the ministry of defence and has recently received industrial design patent registration.“The international win will provide the students with resources to take the project further. As WRO Step winners, Jainil and Jayvardhan will receive US $5,000 in funding and six months of mentorship from industry experts,” said Bind. “The support will help them refine the product, validate its industrial applications, strengthen testing and explore a path towards commercialisation,” he added.The World Robot Olympiad brings together young innovators from more than 100 countries, combining robotics, engineering, programming, problem-solving and entrepreneurship to address real-world challenges.For Jainil and Jayvardhan, what started as a response to a devastating tragedy has evolved into an international innovation journey. It aims to put technology at the service of those who step into danger to save others.
