CM Rekha Gupta Launches STEM Lab at Pitampura School
Synopsis
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta launched a STEM Innovation Lab at Government Sarvodaya Vidyalaya, Pitampura, on 6 August 2026 through a public-private partnership involving the Shikhar Dhawan Foundation and HMD Global, aligning the initiative with PM Modi's Viksit Bharat vision for 2047.
Key Takeaways
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta inaugurated a STEM Innovation Lab at Government Sarvodaya Vidyalaya, Pitampura on 6 August 2026 .
The lab is a public-private partnership involving the Shikhar Dhawan Foundation (directed by Sophie Dhawan ) and HMD Global (CEO Ravi Kunwar ).
Former cricketer and DaOne Group chairperson Shikhar Dhawan is a named partner in the initiative.
The project is framed as part of PM Narendra Modi 's Viksit Bharat vision targeting developed-nation status by 2047 .
The initiative aligns with the National Education Policy 2020 's push for experiential STEM learning in government schools.
Sarvodaya Vidyalayas serve lower- and middle-income students across Delhi, making this PPP model significant for equity in education.
A cricket icon, a Finnish phone company, and a Delhi government school walk into the same room — and the result is a state-of-the-art STEM Innovation Lab for children who might never have had access to one. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday, 6 August 2026 inaugurated a STEM Innovation Lab at Government Sarvodaya Vidyalaya, Pitampura, crediting a public-private partnership between the Delhi government, the Shikhar Dhawan Foundation, and HMD Global for making it possible.
Posting in Hindi on X, CM Gupta framed the initiative squarely within Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Viksit Bharat vision — the national roadmap targeting developed-nation status by 2047. 'Every student of Delhi should dream big and get modern opportunities to realise those dreams — this is our commitment,' she wrote, describing the lab as 'an important step in continuously expanding world-class teaching facilities in Delhi government schools.'
Dhawan, Sophie, and HMD Global: The Partnership Behind the Lab
The Chief Minister singled out three contributors by name: former Indian cricketer and DaOne Group chairperson Shikhar Dhawan, Sophie Dhawan — director of the Shikhar Dhawan Foundation — and Ravi Kunwar, CEO of HMD Global, the Finland-headquartered company that holds the Nokia mobile brand. Gupta described their involvement as 'an example of the power of public participation (janbhagidari) that is establishing new dimensions of innovation and quality education in government schools.' The pairing of a celebrity philanthropist and a global technology company with a Sarvodaya Vidyalaya — Delhi's flagship chain of upgraded government schools — is a template Indian states have increasingly leaned on. Under the National Education Policy 2020, experiential STEM learning and digital infrastructure in government schools became a stated national priority, and corporate and celebrity CSR contributions have accelerated to fill the gap between policy intent and ground reality.Sarvodaya Vidyalayas and the PPP Playbook
Sarvodaya Vidyalayas have been at the centre of Delhi's school-modernisation effort for years, serving students from lower- and middle-income families across the capital. The Pitampura lab adds hands-on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics infrastructure to a school that serves precisely the demographic the Viksit Bharat skills agenda is designed to reach. Whether this model scales — more labs, more partners, a formal PPP framework across other Delhi government schools — is the question education-watchers will now track.Point of View
The government ties a local school event to a national political vision, giving it a reach beyond one lab. The involvement of a high-profile name like Shikhar Dhawan amplifies the story's media value and normalises celebrity CSR in public education — a trend with genuine infrastructure upside but also questions about long-term sustainability beyond one-off donations. The real test will be whether Delhi announces a replicable PPP policy that brings this model to dozens of Sarvodaya Vidyalayas, or whether Pitampura remains a well-photographed outlier.
NationPress
6 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the STEM Innovation Lab launched in Delhi?
It is a hands-on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics facility inaugurated at Government Sarvodaya Vidyalaya, Pitampura on 6 August 2026 through a public-private partnership between the Delhi government, the Shikhar Dhawan Foundation , and HMD Global .
Who is Shikhar Dhawan's role in the Delhi school STEM lab?
Shikhar Dhawan , former Indian cricketer and chairperson of DaOne Group , contributed to the lab through the Shikhar Dhawan Foundation , directed by Sophie Dhawan , as part of a corporate social responsibility partnership with the Delhi government.
What is HMD Global's connection to Delhi education?
HMD Global , the Finland-headquartered company holding Nokia mobile brand rights, partnered with the Delhi government via its CEO Ravi Kunwar to help establish the STEM Innovation Lab at Pitampura's Sarvodaya Vidyalaya.
What is the Viksit Bharat vision and how does it relate to Delhi schools?
Viksit Bharat is Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's roadmap to make India a developed nation by 2047 , with education and skills as key pillars. CM Rekha Gupta cited this vision as the framework guiding Delhi's expansion of world-class facilities in government schools.
What are Sarvodaya Vidyalayas in Delhi?
Sarvodaya Vidyalayas are Delhi's flagship government school chain, designed to provide upgraded education to students from lower- and middle-income families across the capital. They have been the focus of multiple school-modernisation initiatives over the years.
