DigiArivu Sets Up 10 STEM Labs Across Kancheepuram
and Ranipet

At the centre of DigiArivu is the creation of 10 STEM labs in government schools, giving
students a dedicated space to test out scientific concepts they encounter in the classroom, a
hallmark of hands-on STEM education India efforts. Rather than relying only on textbook
explanations, students in these schools can now run experiments and handle equipment
directly, which educators say helps deepen conceptual understanding and reinforces STEM
education India goals at the school level.
The labs are paired with BaLA elements woven into school walls and common areas: murals
and interactive displays themed around science, mathematics, sustainability, sports and figures
such as Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. The idea is to turn ordinary school spaces into an extension of
STEM learning rather than confining it to a single classroom.
The programme was designed using UN GCNI’s research within state-run schools, along with
input from Samsung employees at the Sriperumbudur plant and members of the local
community, so that the interventions reflect the actual needs of these schools rather than a
generic template borrowed from other STEM education India projects.

A Community-Centric Model for Tier-2 and Tier-3 Districts

DigiArivu follows a multi-layered, community-centric approach aimed at transforming the
learning ecosystem in tier-2 and tier-3 districts, where access to structured STEM programs has
historically lagged behind larger cities. Alongside the labs, Samsung is training teachers,
supplying sports kits, and setting up school libraries stocked with Tamil, English and
competitive-exam books. Class 12 students also get career guidance sessions, and schools will
host health awareness camps and expert speaker series through the year, all folded into the
wider DigiArivu approach to STEM education India.
SH Yoon, President of Samsung Chennai Plant, said the initiative reflects Samsung’s belief that
technology becomes genuinely powerful when it expands access, opportunity and confidence
for young people. He added that DigiArivu is meant to help students build future-ready skills
while also supporting teachers and local communities, positioning it as part of Samsung’s
broader “Powering Digital India” commitment and its longer-running investment in STEM
education India.

Why STEM Education India Needs This Kind of Push

STEM education India is increasingly seen as central to preparing students for higher education
and technology-driven careers, but access remains uneven between metro schools and
government schools in smaller districts. Programs like DigiArivu attempt to close that gap by
placing physical infrastructure, labs, equipment, trained teachers, directly inside government
school campuses instead of routing resources through occasional workshops.
Hands-on STEM learning gives students room to experiment, fail, adjust and try again, which
builds problem-solving skills that classroom instruction alone often can’t replicate. For
government schools in Kancheepuram and Ranipet, the arrival of dedicated STEM labs marks a
shift from theoretical instruction toward applied, activity-based learning, and a tangible step
forward for STEM education India at the grassroots level.

Alongside DigiArivu: Samsung Innovation Campus in
Tamil Nadu

Samsung is also running its Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) programme in Tamil Nadu this
year, training 5,000 students in high-demand tech domains including artificial intelligence, the
Internet of Things, big data, and coding. SIC is delivered in partnership with training and skilling
organisations, giving students in the state a route into industry-relevant technical skills alongside
the more foundational STEM education India work happening through DigiArivu.
Together, the two programs reflect a layered approach to STEM education India: DigiArivu
focused on building STEM fundamentals and curiosity at the school level, and SIC aimed at
equipping older students with specific technical capabilities tied to current job markets. Both
also feed into a growing pipeline of STEM research and skilling opportunities for students
across the state.

What This Means for Students and Teachers

For the 3,000 students across these 10 schools, the immediate change is physical: labs stocked
with equipment, murals that turn hallways into learning spaces, and teachers trained to run
activity-based STEM sessions rather than lecture-only classes. For teachers, DigiArivu brings
structured training designed to help them use the new labs effectively, rather than leaving new
equipment underused, reinforcing Samsung’s broader commitment to STEM education India.
As STEM education India continues to expand beyond major cities, programs that combine
infrastructure, teacher training and community input, rather than one-off donations, are likely to
have a more lasting effect on how students engage with science and technology subjects. A
well-designed STEM program built around real classroom needs, rather than generic kits, tends
to hold students’ attention longer and translate more directly into applied learning.

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