Australia’s Deputy High Commissioner to India, Nick McCaffrey, has inaugurated a new Robotics STEM Lab at Rao Balram Public School in Najafgarh, New Delhi, describing the initiative as an investment in the next generation of innovators.
“What a wonderful day with students at Rao Balram Public School: so much energy and optimism!” McCaffrey said.
“Happy to launch a new Robotics STEM Lab, funded by Australia and set up by our partner India STEM. Investing in young minds today will deliver innovators tomorrow.”
The new laboratory has been established through Australian funding in partnership with the India STEM Foundation, as part of efforts to expand access to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in India.
The initiative aligns with the India STEM Foundation’s mission to democratise STEM education by providing schools with free STEM Innovation Kits designed to encourage hands-on learning, robotics and coding.
Each eligible school receives a STEM Innovation Kit featuring Arduino Uno and Nano microcontrollers, ultrasonic and infrared sensors, servo and DC motors, breadboards, jumper wires and other components that enable students to design, build and test robotic solutions.
The program particularly targets schools that do not already have robotics laboratories, STEM facilities or Atal Tinkering Labs, helping bridge gaps in access to technology-driven education.
Students are encouraged to apply their skills through the World Robot Olympiad (WRO), with participating schools receiving one complimentary team entry in the Future Innovators category. This year’s theme, “The Future of Robots,” challenges students to develop robotic solutions for real-world problems.
The initiative also supports teachers through certified STEM training programs, with schools whose educators complete India STEM Foundation certification receiving preference for future opportunities.
By combining robotics, innovation and experiential learning, the project also supports the goals of India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasises critical thinking, creativity and technology-enabled education.
The Australia-funded robotics lab is expected to help students develop practical problem-solving skills while strengthening educational collaboration between Australia and India.
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