Key Points

In a message on X, she said, "Meeting the youth is always an experience filled with energy and confidence. All the winners today are not only the bright future of Delhi but of the entire India. Every young individual is a powerful pioneer of the Honourable Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji's vision of a developed India and the Make in India campaign, whose hard work, determination, and innovation will make this dream a reality."

The Grand Finale of the Industrial Ideathon 2025 marked the culmination of a month-long innovation journey that began with nearly 1,200 registrations, narrowed to 652 valid entries, 124 preliminary qualifiers, 40 finalists, and finally 12 winners.

CM Gupta, addressing the gathering, said, "We must not blindly follow traditions. Today's youth have shown us the power of new ideas. For years, India's population was seen as a burden, but today it is our greatest asset. Our young innovators have proved they can increase the speed of Delhi's development four times if we work together."

"Delhi's challenges are immense -- water, sewerage, schools, infrastructure as a whole -- but if we see these not as obstacles but as opportunities, we can turn rubble into gold. During Operation Sindoor, many felt they could lay down their lives for the country. But the real chance we have today is to live for the country -- and our youth are doing just that through innovation," she said.

Thanking students for their participation, the CM said, "Delhi has a special role in making India the world's third-largest economy. If we work with people's partnership, Delhi will not only overcome its backlog of development but also become the most beautiful and best city in India."

Industries Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who inaugurated the day's proceedings and personally interacted with all 40 finalist teams, said, "Delhi is bigger than many countries. With a population of 3 crore -- almost double that of Uttarakhand and 1.5 times that of Haryana -- the challenges of managing growth here are far greater."

He said, "Under the leadership of CM Rekha Gupta, we have taken these challenges head-on. Today's Ideathon has brought youth directly into the heart of policymaking."

"We received around 2 lakh impressions on the website, nearly 1,200 registrations, shortlisted 652 teams, then 124 for preliminaries, then 40 for today's finale, and now 12 winners. Each of the 40 ideas presented will be documented in a book for policymakers to revisit whenever needed. I thank our CM for removing red-tapism, including ending outdated MCD permissions, to enable true ease of doing business," he said.

Sirsa said, "One of the most fascinating solutions today was a machine that converts waste into clean fuel in just 90 minutes. Such innovation proves that our youth are not only ready for Delhi's challenges, but also for our PM's vision of Viksit Bharat 2047."

The Industrial Ideathon 2025, organised by the Delhi Government's Industries Department through DSIIDC, was co-hosted by Netaji Subhas University of Technology (NSUT) as knowledge partner.

The event saw participation from 20 Delhi colleges, including NSUT, IGDTUW, SSCBS, GGSIPU, BPIT, MAIT, DTU, JNU, Kirori Mal College, Ambedkar University, GTBIT and others.

- IANS