Galgotias University has achieved international recognition after its students won top honours at EDVentures 2026. It is a global innovation and entrepreneurship competition hosted by The Education University of Hong Kong.
"It is extremely encouraging to see our students competing confidently alongside leading international universities and receiving recognition for ideas that are socially meaningful and innovation driven," said University CEO Dhruv Galgotia.
Competing against 19 teams from 10 countries, two student teams from the university represented India at the global event. They impressed the judges with simple and innovative ideas focused on better education, accessibility, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The biggest achievement came from Project TACTO, which won the Top Prize and AWS Championship Prize, along with a total support package worth $7,000 (approx. Rs 6.70 lakh).
The team included Gaurang Pant (BTech CSE, Class of 2027), Shristi Mandoliya (BTech CSE Data Science, Class of 2028), and Kavya Singh (BBA Financial Investment Analysis, Class of 2026).
The project is designed to help visually impaired students learn coding and basic STEM concepts through a simple system of buttons, sensors, and audio feedback. This makes learning more hands-on and accessible for students who cannot rely on visual tools.
Another startup from the university, Tekurious Pvt Ltd, was also selected among the global finalists. It presented a virtual reality-based immersive learning platform aimed at making education more interactive and engaging.
"Competing with teams from across the world and seeing our idea receive global recognition was an unforgettable experience," said the students of Project TACTO. Their trip was fully sponsored by the Galgotias University.
"We wanted to build something that could make learning more inclusive and accessible for visually impaired learners, and this recognition has strengthened our belief that technology can become a powerful tool for meaningful social impact," they added.
Mentor Rachit Mathur said the team worked for months on refining their idea, pitch, and strategy, and praised their dedication throughout the journey.
"What started as mentorship eventually felt like working alongside co-founders. We had debates, disagreements, and long discussions around the business model, pitching, and strategy, but the team's hard work and belief in their idea stood out throughout the journey," he said, adding that the credit truly goes to them for building a powerful and meaningful innovation.
Dhruv Galgotia said, "Our students have made India proud by representing the country on a global platform. Their innovation addresses the challenge of inclusive education for visually impaired learners."
EDVentures 2026 featured participants from leading universities across Hong Kong, Singapore, China, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, UAE, and Thailand.
Galgotias University falls in the 1201-1400 global band in the QS World University Rankings 2026 and is placed 15th among private universities and 43rd in India. In the Times Higher Education Rankings 2026, it is in the 1201–1500 global band, ranking 27th among private universities and 65th in India, the report said.
