Impact Week Challenge 2026

From Real-World Problems to Purposeful Innovation

Following the successful completion of the Train-the-Coach program, the second phase of Impact Discovery India – Mangaluru 2026 unfolded at MITE from September 21–24, 2026, with the four-day Impact Week Challenge transforming the campus into an immersive laboratory for Design Thinking, experimentation and innovation.

A total of 18 Student Innovator Teams comprising over 100 students participated in the challenge. They were mentored by MITE’s 20 newly trained Faculty Coaches, working alongside the Global Senior Coaches of Impact Discovery India.

The central philosophy of the challenge was simple yet powerful: do not begin with the solution—first discover the right problem.

Student teams were encouraged to step outside the classroom and understand challenges from the perspective of real users. As part of the experiential process, teams visited diverse locations including local markets, fisheries, hospitals, municipal offices, schools and a water park. They interacted with users, observed activities, listened to experiences and attempted to identify challenges that might otherwise remain unnoticed.

These real-world interactions helped students question assumptions and redefine their original understanding of problems. Guided by their coaches, teams progressed through the Design Thinking journey of empathy, problem definition, ideation, prototyping and validation. Ideas were challenged, modified and, in several instances, completely reimagined based on insights gathered from users.

Learning from Entrepreneurs

The innovation journey was complemented by entrepreneurial interactions with accomplished business leaders.

Mr. Mohammed Azzan Patni, Co-Founder & Director of HeyKoala AI and Co-Founder of Pace Wisdom Solutions, interacted with the student innovators and shared perspectives from his journey across technology, product development, innovation and entrepreneurship. His interaction encouraged students to appreciate the importance of continuous learning and translating technological capabilities into meaningful business value.

The students also interacted with Mr. Ronald Silvan D’Souza, Founder and Executive Director of Leksa Lighting Technologies Pvt. Ltd. His journey of building a manufacturing enterprise from humble beginnings into a company with a significant national and international presence offered students a powerful perspective on resilience, product innovation, manufacturing and entrepreneurial ambition.

From Discovery to the Final Pitch

The four-day journey culminated on September 24 with the Final Pitch Presentation, where all 18 teams presented their solutions before an accomplished industry jury.

The Jury comprised Mr. Ravikiran Papthimar, Senior Director – Product & Technology, Incture Technologies and Charter Member, TiE Mangaluru; Mr. Lalith Prasad Rai, Services Head – Client Operations and Development Centre Head, Infosys BPM, Mangaluru; and Mr. Ashish Rai, Senior Director, Pentagram UK.

The presentations represented far more than final ideas. Behind each pitch was a journey of field observation, user conversations, problem discovery, collaboration, experimentation and prototyping. The jury interaction further enabled teams to examine their solutions from the perspectives of feasibility, customer value, technology, scalability and entrepreneurial potential.

Impact Week gave MITE’s young innovators an entirely new perspective on innovation. Students experienced first-hand that innovation is not simply about developing technology or creating a prototype—it begins with understanding people and solving problems that genuinely matter.

The program concluded with a powerful shift in mindset: from assuming to observing, from merely creating ideas to validating them, and from building solutions to creating meaningful impact.

For the 18 teams, September 24 marked the conclusion of Impact Week—but potentially, the beginning of a much larger journey from Student Innovator to Entrepreneur.