New Delhi, 25 September 2026: Nearly 70 students from Classes 6 to 8 will come together in New Delhi on September 28 for the MBD AI STEAM Championship 2026, an inter-school robotics challenge that will bring Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) concepts to life through a healthy learning competition.
The championship is the next step for students who have participated in Robotics Lab on Wheels, an initiative under Love to Learn, the education-focused campaign of the Ashok Malhotra Charitable Trust, the CSR wing of MBD Group. Through Robotics Lab on Wheels, the Trust brings practical STEAM learning to schools through a mobile robotics laboratory, giving students hands-on exposure to areas such as robotics, coding, IoT and automation. Over the past year, the programme has reached more than 30 schools and benefited over 3,000 students and teachers, creating a foundation for students to now take their learning into a competitive environment. The MBD AI STEAM Championship builds on this journey by giving participating students a platform to apply those skills, collaborate and solve challenges alongside peers.
At the championship, students will compete in two challenges, Robo Soccer and Pick & Place, applying their understanding of robot design, operation, and strategy while working as teams. The competitive format will require them to make decisions, respond to challenges and put their technical learning into practice.
Mrs. Satish Bala Malhotra, Chairperson, MBD Group said “Ashok ji always believed that education could give children the confidence to shape their own future. It is heartening to see that belief continue through initiatives such as Robotics Lab on Wheels and the MBD AI STEAM Championship. When children get the opportunity to learn by doing and experience the joy of seeing their ideas come to life, it can leave a lasting impression. I hope we can continue this journey and bring such opportunities to many more children in the years ahead.”
Commenting on the championship, Ms. Monica Malhotra Kandhari, Managing Director, MBD Group, said, “Hands-on learning allows students to explore, experiment, and understand how things work, while a competitive platform challenges them to take that learning a step further. When students apply their knowledge to solve problems, work as a team, make decisions, and adapt when things don't go as planned, they develop skills theory alone cannot build. The MBD AI STEAM Championship is designed to give students that experience, build their confidence, and show them what they can create themselves.”
Ms. Sonica Malhotra, Joint Managing Director, MBD Group said, “We want technology to become an opportunity that reaches children wherever they are. The MBD AI STEAM Championship is part of that effort, bringing together students who may otherwise have limited opportunities to experience robotics in a competitive setting. When access grows, so does ambition. We hope experiences like these encourage more children to see themselves as creators or problem-solvers, and give them the confidence to consider possibilities they may not have imagined before.”
The championship adds a competitive dimension to experiential STEAM education, placing students in a setting where they have to put their learning into practice. For schools, it also brings students’ technical skills and talent to the fore as they work in teams, make decisions and respond to real-time challenges.
The championship will recognise the top-performing schools with an AI STEAM Lab setup worth Rs. 2 lakh for the winner, a Robotics Kit worth Rs. 75,000 for the first runner-up, and a Robotics Kit worth Rs. 50,000 for the second runner-up. The school-level prizes extend the value of the championship beyond the competition, giving the winning schools resources to build continued opportunities for students to learn, experiment and develop their skills in robotics and STEAM.