In the heart of a rural classroom in India, a group of children gathers around a laptop, exploring renewable energy and robotics through an interactive simulation. Just a few years ago, this would have seemed unimaginable. But today, on National Technology Day 2025, such moments are becoming commonplace across underserved communities. Digital tools are transforming how children in India learn, connect, and dream.
While technology alone cannot bridge the education divide, it is proving to be a powerful enabler when anchored in equity, supported by policy, and guided by the lived realities of the communities it seeks to serve. At Smile Foundation, we believe technology must not be a privilege of the few—it must be a public good, a tool for inclusion, and a bridge to opportunity.
On National Technology Day 2025, we celebrate not only India’s technological advancements but also the transformative impact of digital innovation on education. This year’s theme, “YANTRA – Yugantar for Advancing New Technology, Research & Acceleration,” underscores a shift towards leveraging technology for inclusive and accelerated development.
From textbooks to tech: A paradigm shift
India’s education system has long struggled with systemic inequities: outdated curricula, overburdened teachers, and an absence of infrastructure. For children in low-income and remote regions, these challenges are compounded by daily survival. In this context, digital tools offer a chance to leapfrog barriers providing access, engagement, and quality at scale.
Smile Foundation’s flagship education initiative, Mission Education, embraces a blended learning model that brings together smart classrooms, e-learning platforms, school-on-wheels, and AI-powered tools. The emphasis on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), activity-based learning, and life skills allows children to interact with complex ideas through practical, playful, and contextual experiences.
In our classrooms, students now experiment with 3D printing, explore space through virtual astronomy labs, and even build basic robots. Importantly, they do so in their mother tongues, on locally available devices, and with teachers who are supported—not replaced—by technology.
Aligning with NEP 2020 and SDG 4
The integration of digital tools is aligned with India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which calls for a shift from rote learning to holistic, student-centric approaches. It is also central to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4—quality education for all by 2030.
Government initiatives such as DIKSHA, PM e-Vidya, and Digital India are laying critical infrastructure. But policy must translate to implementation at the grassroots. That is where developmental organizations like Smile Foundation play a vital role—bridging last-mile gaps, training educators, contextualizing content, and ensuring that no child is left behind in the digital revolution.
In a country where nearly 60% of children lack access to the internet at home, our Mobile School on Wheels brings digital learning to the doorsteps of children who would otherwise be excluded. By integrating health check-ups, nutrition, and counselling, we ensure that learning does not happen in isolation but as part of a holistic model of child well-being.
Why digital tools help children learn better
Technology enhances learning in several ways, especially for children from underserved communities:
- Tailored Learning: AI-driven platforms can adapt to each child’s pace, level, and interests. This personalisation is critical for first-generation learners who may need to revisit foundational concepts.
- Multisensory Engagement: Audio-visual content, simulations, and gamification bring abstract concepts to life. For children who struggle with text-heavy content, these formats unlock comprehension and retention.
- Anytime, Anywhere Learning: Digital platforms offer flexibility, allowing students to learn beyond school hours and even during disruptions such as climate events or family emergencies.
- Collaboration and Feedback: Online tools enable peer learning, mentor interactions, and real-time feedback, creating a participatory ecosystem rather than a top-down classroom.
Importantly, digital education builds skills essential for the 21st century like a mindset of inquiry, self-direction, and digital citizenship.
Skilling for the future: The STeP initiative
Education in the digital age must also prepare youth for a rapidly evolving workforce. Smile Foundation’s Smile Twin e-Learning Programme (STeP) focuses on technology-driven vocational training for underserved youth. Through 40 centres across India, more than 5,600 young people are currently receiving training in healthcare and core employability skills—including digital literacy, communication, and patient care.
Our trainees are acquiring skills and gaining confidence, aspirations, and access to dignified work. Many of them are now supporting families, pursuing further education, or leading change in their communities.
The shift from rote learning to skill-building is particularly urgent given that India’s working-age population is growing while formal employment remains elusive. Technology can be a great leveller but only if youth are equipped to use it creatively, critically, and ethically.
STEM: Reimagining rural classrooms
Smile Foundation’s STEM education model is rooted in experiential learning. In partnership with corporations like BMW, GlaxoSmithKline, Grant Thornton, and more, we have brought advanced learning modules such as aeromodelling, robotics, and environmental science to government and low-income private schools.
Our recent collaboration with IIT Bombay enabled 960 children from under-resourced backgrounds to engage in hands-on STEM workshops. These are not one-off events but part of a sustained approach to democratizing access to high-quality science education.
We are training teachers to adopt new pedagogies, designing contextualised STEM kits, and creating learning spaces that inspire curiosity. When a child in rural Maharashtra builds a solar-powered car from scratch, or a girl in Bihar codes her first app, it sends a powerful message: talent exists everywhere. Opportunity does not.
Technology is not a panacea
We must, however, acknowledge that digital tools are not a silver bullet. Technology cannot fix what is broken in our systems—it can only amplify what works.
Without electricity, connectivity, and trained educators, devices can become dead weight. Without attention to gender equity, girls may be excluded from digital access. And, without local language content and cultural sensitivity, learning remains alienating.
That is why Smile Foundation takes a systemic approach. We work with communities, schools, governments, and donors to build resilient ecosystems where technology enhances—not replaces—human connection. Our digital initiatives are designed to complement, not compete with, the social fabric of education.
A national moment of reflection on National Technology Day 2025
On National Technology Day 2025, as India celebrates its scientific achievements, we must also ask: Who gets to benefit from technology? Who is left out? What kind of future are we building for our children?
Digital transformation must not deepen divides—it must close them. Education is not only about employment. It is about dignity, agency, and the ability to imagine a better world. In that vision, technology has a role, but so does compassion, equity, and sustained public investment.
At Smile Foundation, we remain committed to ensuring that every child—regardless of their postcode—can access the tools they need to learn, thrive, and lead.
Sources:
- National Technology Day 2025 Theme
- Department of Science & Technology, Government of India (2025).
“YANTRA – Yugantar for Advancing New Technology, Research & Acceleration.”
https://dst.gov.in
- Department of Science & Technology, Government of India (2025).
- National Education Policy (NEP) 2020
- Ministry of Education, Government of India. (2020).
National Education Policy 2020.
https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/NEP_Final_English_0.pdf
- Ministry of Education, Government of India. (2020).
- Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education)
- United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal4
- United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
- Government Digital Education Initiatives
- DIKSHA: https://diksha.gov.in
- PM e-Vidya: https://pmvidya.education.gov.in
- Digital India: https://digitalindia.gov.in
