The vibrant campus of Somaiya Vidyavihar is all set to witness 100+ innovations from across the world at the 9th Edition of Maker Mela, powered by the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, is to be held from 12th to 14th February 2024. The flagship annual event of the Research Innovation Incubation Design Laboratory Foundation (riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar) provides a unique opportunity for grassroots makers, innovators, and creators to showcase their projects, connect with like-minded individuals, and gain exposure to a diverse audience. Whether you’re passionate about sustainability, technology, arts, or any other field, Maker Mela welcomes everyone to come together and celebrate creativity and innovation.
From environmentally-friendly products to cancer care devices and handmade paper cutting, each category showcases a diverse array of innovations. Right from the oldest maker being Tetsuj Katsuda (Age: 60 years) from Japan building Buddy-kun, a robot that interacts to the youngest one being Anay and Abeer Ramakrishnan (Age: 9 years) creative digital interactive avatars using GenAI.
In addition to the innovative projects, the event will witness the presence of Mr. Arjun Vaidya, Ventures Lead, Verlinvest as the Keynote Speaker during the inauguration ceremony. Several artistic cardboard installations signifying the essence of maker culture will also be showcased throughout the 3-day event.
Recognized for its commitment to sustainability, Maker Mela was honored with the “International Green Apple Environment Award” by The Houses of Parliament, Westminster Palace, London, in 2017. Sustainability continues to be a core of the event as a workshop is organized by ReDesign, The Circular Economy club on campus in collaboration with The Denim Project to upcycle old denims into useful products. To support this effort, a cart has been built by makers & designers from Somaiya Vidyavihar University exhibiting sustainable startups & makers.
Other planned activities include Makers’ Night as an ice-breaking session for the Makers, Pitching Session for potential investment opportunities & Networking activities for peer-to-peer learning & building long-term collaborations. Inviting everyone to get inspired by networking with innovators & contribute to this ever-growing global maker movement.
Mr. Gaurang Shetty, Chief Innovation Catalyst at riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar, expressed his excitement for Maker Mela 2024, “ This is not just an event, for the past 8 years, Maker Mela has served as a testament to the power of human creativity and ingenuity. Every project showcased holds the potential to make an impact not just locally, but also globally. Through Maker Mela, we not only celebrate innovations but also nurture a culture of exploration and problem-solving and empower makers to shape the future they envision.”
Over the past 8 editions, Maker Mela has welcomed projects from over 850 makers across 25 countries. Notably, 350 makers have been featured on the Maker Mela community platform makermela.com, attracting an impressive viewership of around 104,000 from over 105 countries, including 1000+ cities globally.
About Maker Mela:
Maker Mela is Asia’s Largest Platform for Makers and a premier event for grassroots innovators worldwide seeking a platform to showcase their projects to a broader audience. Maker Mela is an initiative of Somaiya Trust & Somaiya Vidyavihar University, organized by riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar, powered by the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India. riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar is a Technology Business Incubator and Innovation Centre supported by the Department of Science & Technology; BIRAC, Govt of India & MSInS, Govt of Maharashtra. In the past, Maker Mela has received support from esteemed associations like Startup India, Skill India, NYCS, and UNESCO. The event hosts a community of over 10,000 innovators globally, with at least 100 teams showcasing their innovations annually.
About Somaiya Vidyavihar University:
Somaiya Vidyavihar, established in 1942, has been in education, health, social welfare and promotion of culture for three generations. Since 1959, Somaiya Vidyavihar has been in University Education and in 2019, Somaiya VidyaviharUniversity has been established as a self-financing university by an Act of the Maharashtra State Legislature. Somaiya Vidyavihar University has established itself as a leading educational institute across the globe. It is proudly the first private university in Mumbai. Keeping up with our education standards, we have opened up an array of options for the students to choose from. The leaders of Somaiya Vidyavihar University have designed every aspect of the University with the demands of international education in mind. It is global in the reach of its ideas and universal in its service.
