Surat school student uses machine learning to estimate groundwater availability; project wins national innovation challenge

A Surat school student, Dheyay Shah, has won the national title at vivo Ignite 2026 for developing JALAAKAR, a machine-learning-based project that estimates groundwater availability using historical borewell records, rainfall and soil data. The innovation generates taluka-level estimates to support informed water management. The competition recognised 10 student projects addressing challenges including water conservation, online security, road safety and assistive technology, attracting over 6,100 ideas from schools across India.