Goa’s Young Innovators Shine at VEX IQ Delhi Regionals 2025
Gurgaon, November 8, 2025: A team of three young students from Goa made an impressive mark at the VEX IQ Mix and Match Delhi Regionals held at Heritage International Xperiential School, Gurgaon. The competition brought together some of the brightest young minds in robotics from across India. The event was organised by Get Set Learn, an Arvind Mafatlal Group Company, which is an official partner of VEX Robotics in India and the official organiser of VEX Robotics competitions across the country.
Representing Goa as the first and only VEX team from the state, Team 25005A – PRATHAM One consisted of:
- Vedang Anay Kamat, Std V, Saraswat Vidyalaya, Mapusa, Goa
- Surabhi Shubesh Manerikar, Std V, Saraswat Vidyalaya, Mapusa, Goa
- Rajvi Vishwanath Marathe, Std IV, Smt Laxmibai Sanzgiri Memorial Primary School, Sakhali, Goa
Despite receiving their VEX IQ robotics kit just a day before leaving for the WSRO Nationals in Ahmedabad on October 2, 2025, and with SCERT exams beginning on October 9, the students had barely three weeks to prepare. During this short span, they studied game rules, built and programmed their robot, documented their design process in an engineering notebook, and practised driving extensively – even dedicating over eight hours daily through their Diwali vacation.
Their perseverance paid off as Team PRATHAM One achieved remarkable results at the regionals:
- 2nd place – Teamwork Finals
- 2nd place – Skills Challenge (Driver + Autonomous combined)
- Winner – Innovate Award
- Qualified for participation in the VEX IQ India Nationals, to be held in January 2026.
The team’s efforts were self-sponsored and mentored by their parents. The students were mentored by Anay Kamat, Maya Kamat monitored their performance and guided practice sessions, and Shubesh Manerikar guided the team in their journey to create the engineering notebook.
“We are incredibly proud of Vedang, Surabhi, and Rajvi,” said Anay Kamat, their mentor. “Their success proves that a problem-solving mindset, innovative and critical thinking, combined with sheer hard work, can overcome even the steepest learning curves. To perform at this level after just three weeks of intensive preparation is a testament to their brilliance. We look forward to supporting them as they prepare to represent Goa at the National level.”
The achievement of PRATHAM One highlights the growing robotics and STEM talent in Goa, as well as the success of the parent-driven community team model. The team also extends its gratitude to Get Set Learn and VEX Robotics for bringing global-standard competitions to India and for creating meaningful opportunities for young innovators to participate and showcase their talent.
About Vex IQ Competitions: Vex IQ is a hands-on, curriculum-aligned robotics program that promotes STEM learning through competitive robot design and programming. The Mix and Match competition format emphasises teamwork, driving skills, and autonomous programming.
