The 5th edition of the School Youth Ideathon (SYI) — India’s largest entrepreneurship festival for school students — was launched on October 6 at the CBSE Headquarters, New Delhi. The initiative is now open to students from Classes 4 to 12 across India and Indian schools abroad.
Students can submit their ideas at www.YouthIdeathon.in until November 20, 2025. The program will culminate in a Grand Finale at IIT Delhi on December 19–20, 2025, where the top 125 teams will showcase their innovative ideas.
Powered by Tanla Platforms as the Title Sponsor, this year’s theme — “Nayi Soch Naya Bharat” — invites young minds to create ideas that embody the spirit of a bold, self-reliant, and innovative India.
Organized by the ThinkStartup Foundation, the initiative is supported by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the Management & Entrepreneurship and Professional Skills Council (MEPSC) under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. The campaign aims to nurture young innovators across the nation in the coming weeks.
New features this year include the CBSE Studio Pitch, where select student teams will pitch live to angel investors in a televised format, and the Entrepreneurial Quotient (EQ) Test. “The EQ Test is being introduced at the school level to assess the current state of entrepreneurial dynamism among students,” explained Col. Anil Pokhriyal, CEO, MEPSC. The insights gathered will help policymakers identify gaps and implement strategies to strengthen entrepreneurial education, preparing students for the challenges and opportunities of an AI-driven society.
Speaking at the launch, Dr. Biswajit Saha, Director (Skill Education), CBSE, said: “The essence of Youth Ideathon is to encourage entrepreneurial action rooted in real life, which is quite different from typical science projects. In this 5th edition, we have introduced a novel Studio Pitch after the Grand Finale, bringing the entrepreneurial journey of school students closer to real-world and inspiring them to transform their ideas into scalable ventures.”
The 5th edition of the School Youth Ideathon is expected to engage nearly two lakh students nationwide, transforming classroom ideas into innovations that can change the world.
“Youth Ideathon is about nation-building through innovation,” said Shivani Singh Kapoor, Founder of ThinkStartup Foundation. “We want every child to feel inspired to innovate for India’s future.”
Sanjeeva Shivesh, Program Director of SYI 2025, added: “Faculty Development Programs are a vital component of the School Youth Ideathon. They empower teachers to become entrepreneurial mentors, fostering school ecosystems where innovation and creativity thrive daily.”
The Top 500 teams will receive structured mentoring from IIT alumni, coordinated by PanIIT Alumni India. Supporting the initiative, Uday Reddy, Founder & CEO of Tanla Platforms, remarked: “Innovation is the key to solving challenges at scale. This platform encourages young minds to think creatively and make real-world impact.”
Registrations for both students and teachers are open at www.YouthIdeathon.in, including upcoming FDPs to strengthen entrepreneurial pedagogy in schools.
