MUMBAI (India CSR): ASUS India, in partnership with VIDYA Foundation, hosted the VIDYA Tech Fest 2026, bringing together students from ASUS-supported schools to showcase technology-led projects developed through their digital literacy and tinkering programmes. The event also marked the inauguration of the Tinkering Lab at VIDYA’s Powai centre, developed in partnership with ASUS India, with Eric Ou, South Asia Regional Director, ASUS India, formally inaugurating the facility.
The inauguration marks an important milestone in ASUS India and VIDYA Foundation’s ongoing partnership to build digital capabilities and create greater access to technology-led learning for students from underserved communities. The Tinkering Lab provides students with a dedicated space to experiment, build and apply their learning through hands-on projects across electronics, coding, Arduino, IoT and robotics.
The Tech Fest provided students with a platform to demonstrate their application of digital and emerging technology skills through live projects and interactive exhibits spanning AI, robotics, coding, Arduino, Scratch, STEM and digital innovation. The showcase reflected the practical learning enabled through the programme, giving students an opportunity to present projects they had developed through their classroom learning, bootcamps and hands-on sessions.
The Tinkering Lab builds on the success of VIDYA’s Tinkering Clubs across ASUS-partner schools. Following the pilot, tinkering has been formally integrated into VIDYA’s Digital Literacy curriculum for students from Classes 5 to 9 for the academic year 2026–27, enabling students to build practical skills through structured, experiential learning.
The initiative has evolved through a series of hands-on learning interventions, including a two-day Tinkering Bootcamp in March and a Summer Camp in April, followed by continued classroom-based project development. The Tech Fest brought together these learning experiences, giving students an opportunity to apply their skills to practical projects and present their ideas to peers, educators and leadership.
Commenting on the occasion, Eric Ou, South Asia Regional Director, ASUS, said, “Understanding of the evolving technology landscape becomes meaningful when students have the opportunity to move beyond learning concepts and apply them to real-world ideas. ASUS and VIDYA Foundation’s Tech Fest 2026 is a reflection of that journey, showcasing how structured digital learning can build curiosity, creativity and confidence among young learners. Through our partnership with VIDYA, we are pleased to support an environment where students can experiment, build and develop skills that are relevant to their future and are pleased to inaugurate the ASUS-sponsored Tinkering Lab .”
The event builds on the broader impact of ASUS India’s digital literacy partnership with VIDYA Foundation. Over the past year, the programme has reached 12,000+ children and 650 youth across Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa, while engaging 1,100+ women through digital awareness initiatives. The programme currently spans 19 active projects, with digital learning delivered through computer labs, ASUS Vivobooks and a structured curriculum covering foundational computing, MS Office, programming, digital safety and AI literacy.
The inauguration of the Tinkering Lab marks the next phase of the partnership, expanding the programme from digital literacy fundamentals to more experiential learning across electronics, coding, robotics and emerging technologies. The initiative continues to focus on creating sustained access to technology and building practical, future-relevant skills among students from underserved communities.
The Tech Fest concluded with an exhibition showcasing student projects, followed by the award ceremony celebrating their efforts and achievements.
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