Gujarat's Children's Research University (CRU) has launched Kidnovation, a first-of-its-kind initiative that will help school-age students across the state secure provisional patents for their original innovations, with plans to file 20 to 30 patents with the Indian Patent Office by November 2026. The programme, announced on 23 June 2026, will identify around 100 talented children from across Gujarat and guide them through the full innovation-to-intellectual-property pipeline.

What Kidnovation Offers

Dr T.S. Joshi, Vice-Chancellor of the Children's Research University, said selected participants would receive specialised training in prototyping, design and innovation before their ideas are assessed for patentability. Crucially, full ownership of any patents filed will rest with the children themselves.

'Under this project, around 100 talented children from across Gujarat will be selected. The selected children will receive specialised training in prototyping, design and innovation. After evaluating their creative ideas, provisional patents for 20 to 30 innovative concepts will be filed with the Indian Patent Office. Importantly, 100 per cent ownership of the patents will remain in the names of the children themselves,' Joshi said.

Programme Timeline and Key Milestones

The initiative runs from 23 June to 15 November 2026. Idea-scouting and mentoring activities across the state are scheduled for July and August. In September, shortlisted concepts will undergo scientific evaluation and screening.

A two-day residential prototyping boot camp is planned for 15 and 16 October at the Children's Research University, timed to coincide with the birth anniversary of former President Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Around 50 children are expected to attend, where selected ideas will be developed into working prototypes.

Documentation and Policy Impact

Nilesh Pandya, Director of the Training Centre at the Children's Research University, said the project would build a lasting record of each participant's innovation journey.

'During the project, the innovation journeys of all 100 children will be documented and compiled into a 'Kidnovation Log', which will be made permanently available as a digital archive. In addition, a policy-based white paper on intellectual property development in primary education will be prepared and submitted to the Education Department of the state government,' Pandya said.

Alignment with NEP 2020 and Gujarat's Education Push

The programme is designed to advance the goals of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, promoting creativity, scientific thinking and experiential learning among young students. The Children's Research University itself was conceived during the tenure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as Gujarat's Chief Minister, with a mandate to nurture innovation through education.

The launch was held on the 87th death anniversary of renowned educationist Gijubhai Badheka, a symbolic choice that underscores the initiative's roots in child-centred pedagogy. Several organisations will support patent drafting, prototyping, innovation screening, teacher coordination and documentation throughout the programme.

By connecting student creativity directly to formal intellectual property rights, Kidnovation represents a significant step toward institutionalising youth innovation within India's school education system — and its outcomes could shape policy well beyond Gujarat's borders.