From Panama to Policy: How Team India’s FIRST Global Journey Transformed National STEM Strategy

By STEM Education Trust (SET) — India’s Official Partner for FIRST Global

When Team India departed the **FIRST Global Challenge (FGC) 2025 in Panama, they carried more than just memories of “Coopertition” and technical growth. They carried a mission — one that [STEM Education Trust](https://stemeducationtrust.org/) (SET)** had helped shape from the very beginning: to ensure that the transformative power of the FIRST Global stage reaches every corner of India.

What followed was a masterclass in how student ambassadors, backed by a committed national partner, can bridge the gap between international inspiration and national policy. By strategically leveraging Team India’s success in Panama, SET worked alongside the team to advocate at the highest levels of the Indian government — leading to a historic outcome: The FGC 2026 selection process is now being promoted across the entire network of 10,000+ Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) in India.

This is the story of how one team’s journey became a national movement — and how SET helped make that pivot possible.

Building the Foundation: SET’s Role in Getting Team India to Panama

For SET, the journey to Panama began long before the opening ceremony. As India’s official Programme Delivery Partner (PDP) for FIRST Global since 2017, SET manages every dimension of India’s participation — from the national selection process and mentoring ecosystem to fundraising coordination and government liaison.

For FGC 2025, SET identified five exceptional students from Government High School, Malleswaram — a government school powered by an Atal Tinkering Lab — and paired them with mentors Akhil Menon and Saieesh Gandhi. The team was not selected for pedigree or privilege. They were selected for potential, curiosity, and the willingness to grow.

SET’s deliberate focus on inclusion — prioritising government schools and underserved communities — is what made this story possible. And in Panama, that story came alive.

The Strategic Pivot: SET Converts Recognition into Policy Advocacy

Returning from Panama, SET recognised a rare window of opportunity. Team India’s story had all the ingredients to move decision-makers: a government school, a national innovation infrastructure (ATL), an international achievement, and a clear, scalable ask.

SET made a deliberate strategic choice — to not let this moment remain a feel-good headline. Instead, SET channelled the team’s credibility into structured, high-level advocacy with the Government of India.

The message was simple and powerful

India already has 10,000+ ATL labs. FIRST Global is the world’s premier cooperative STEM platform. Connect the two — and you democratise global opportunity for millions of students.

The National Stage: From Panama to the Chief Secretaries’ Conference

The first major milestone in this advocacy journey was an invitation that few student teams ever receive: a platform at the Chief Secretaries’ Conference — the topmost administrative forum in India, where the senior-most bureaucrats from every state gather to shape the nation’s development agenda. it inlcuded a presentation to the Union Secretary for School Education and Literacy — the nation’s top bureaucrat in the sector. The team demonstrated how FGC’s theme-based challenges align directly with India’s National Education Policy (NEP 2020) goals for experiential, sustainable, and hands-on learning.

L to R: Saieesh Gandhi, (Mentor), Chandan, Sai Pranav Gandhi, Sanjay Kumar, IAS, (Secretary Education, GOI), Smt Mythra, (Incharge ATL, Malleshwaram), Dr Deepak Bagla, (Mission Director AIM)

Team India’s story was presented not merely as an achievement, but as a replicable model. Presenting to this elite leadership, the team demonstrated that robotics is not just a competition — it is a vehicle for developing the skills of the future: communication, cross-border collaboration, and complex problem-solving.

The Power of 10,000+ Labs

At the heart of this transformation lies the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), a flagship initiative of NITI Aayog.

Through over 10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL), AIM has built one of the world’s largest school-based innovation ecosystems.

ATL provides students access to:

• Robotics kits
• 3D printing
• IoT tools
• Hands-on problem-solving infrastructure

Honored Guests at India’s Topmost National Event

The ultimate recognition of the team’s impact came when they were selected as part of an elite group of 100 ATL Innovation Champions invited as Special Guests to witness the Republic Day Parade 2026 in New Delhi — India’s most prestigious national celebration, held annually on January 26th.

As guests at this iconic event, the team participated in a high-profile three-day journey that placed young innovators at the very heart of the nation’s celebrations. The experience was as inspiring as it was symbolic:

The team visited the National Science Centre, where interactive exhibits reinforced the culture of inquiry and innovation that both ATL and FIRST Global champion.

The journey culminated in a memorable High Tea interaction with Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (I/C) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences

High Tea interaction with Dr. Jitendra Singh

Being among the 100 Innovation Champions at Republic Day was not just an honour — it was a signal from the Government of India that grassroots innovation belongs at the national table.

Team India at the prestigious Republic day parade

The Systemic Shift: Scaling to 10,000+ Labs

The sustained advocacy led to a historic outcome:

FGC 2026 selection will now be promoted across all 10,000+ Atal Tinkering Labs in India.

What This Means:

🌏 Massive Outreach Millions of students across 28 states and 8 Union Territories now have a clear pathway to represent India globally.

🏫 Inclusive Innovation Students in rural and underserved regions receive equal visibility and opportunity.

🔁 Sustainable Pipeline FIRST Global is now embedded within India’s innovation calendar — building long-term global collaboration capacity.

Voices from the Journey

“We went to Panama to build a robot, but we came back to help build a system. Now, every student in an ATL lab knows that the global stage is within their reach.” — Team Captain Ningaraj

“Team India’s journey is exactly what FIRST Global is designed to create — not just great engineers, but young leaders who can inspire systemic change. SET’s role was to ensure that inspiration didn’t stop at the airport — it had to reach every lab, every school, every student who deserves this chance.” — Gagan Goyal, Founder, STEM Education Trust

About STEM Education Trust (SET)

STEM Education Trust has been India’s official partner for FIRST Global since 2017.

SET manages:

• National team selection
• Mentorship and training
• Fundraising coordination
• Government partnerships

Its mission is simple but ambitious:

Make global STEM opportunity accessible, inclusive, and sustainable for every Indian student