VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh Innovation Society (APIS), in collaboration with Ratan Tata Innovation Hub (RTIH) and the School of Design Thinking (SoDT), on Wednesday launched the Design Spark Challenge 2026, a 48-hour innovation and design marathon aimed at developing a scalable, secure and future-ready digital learning ecosystem for the State.
The challenge, which began on June 2 and will conclude on June 4 at RTIH, Mangalagiri, Amaravati, has brought together 15 shortlisted startup teams from across AP to address gaps in educational infrastructure and public service through design-led innovation.
APIS and RTIH CEO P Dhatri Reddy said the initiative aligns with the State government’s vision of building a globally competitive startup ecosystem and accelerating digital transformation through innovation-driven governance.
Unlike conventional hackathons that focus primarily on coding and rapid prototyping, the Design Spark Challenge follows SoDT’s proprietary ‘Design the Thinking’ methodology. It emphasises human-centred problem-solving, strategic inquiry and systems thinking before participants move to solution development.
The challenge seeks to conceptualise a comprehensive digital ecosystem that extends beyond a conventional Learning Management Module (LMM). The proposed platform aims to integrate learning, mentorship, innovation support, industry engagement and entrepreneurship development for startups, mentors, educational institutions, and others across the State.
