The 2nd edition of the Sandbox CCU Challenge 2025 unfolded at Techno India University, concluding with a transformative week-long innovation sprint from August 25th to September 5th, 2025. The initiative brought together students, facilitators, urban planners, and innovators for an intensive co-creation experience that aimed to reimagine Kolkata as an inclusive and sustainable urban space.
Organised by Elseplay and The Rebalance Institute, and powered by Make Calcutta Relevant Again (MCRA), the Sandbox CCU Challenge showcased the power of interdisciplinary collaboration through design thinking, gamified prototyping, and urban imagination. The initiative saw enthusiastic participation from the School of the Future, Techno India University, with teams addressing pressing challenges across four domains — Employment, Transportation, Healthcare, and Heritage & Public Spaces.
The Top 6 Teams — SmartFlow, Xen Club, Lumora, MetroInDino, Serein, and Golpopoth — emerged as the true stars of Sandbox CCU 2025. Their projects not only stood out for creativity but also for the way they addressed real-world challenges with practicality, innovation, and vision. These teams became the face of the challenge, demonstrating how young minds, with the right guidance, can produce ideas that have the potential to shape a smarter and more sustainable Kolkata.
Alongside them, the Top 3 Exhibitor Teams — Care Connect, Eternal Labanya, and Voices of the Past — were recognized for their promising contributions, each showcasing unique perspectives and solutions that added depth to the overall innovation landscape of Sandbox CCU 2025.
Right from the beginning, Pauline Laravoire, Founder of The Rebalance Institute and Chief Facilitator of Sandbox CCU, emerged as the guiding force of the program. She was present with the students every step of the way — from brainstorming and shaping ideas to mentoring them in preparing presentations and refining projects. Pauline constantly encouraged teams to dig deeper, think critically, and polish their solutions with creativity and confidence. Her tireless efforts and mentorship transformed raw ideas into impactful, well-structured projects, making her an integral part of the event’s success. She shared “This is the second edition of the Sandbox CCU Challenge. The first, held last April, had 150 participants; this time we had 600. From them, 100 teams were formed, and today we have the top 30 team with us, of which 10 team will present on stage —The challenge focused on innovative ideas to make Calcutta more sustainable, healthier, and inclusive. What impressed us most was the creativity, imagination, and dedication of the students, whom we treated as founder CEOs right from the start of their undergraduate journey... As much as it is Teacher’s Day, we celebrate you too, because we have learned so much from your innovation over the past two weeks.”
Alongside her, Rohaan Goswami, Founder and CEO of Elseplay, was also actively involved throughout the week. Beyond his powerful inaugural address, Rohaan worked closely with the students, helping them strengthen their ideas and navigate challenges with practical insights. “We were the interns—our role was to support the students in building their projects. In the true spirit of Teacher’s Day, this was a bilateral program where we learned from each other... The students, treated as founder CEOs from their very first days of college, created powerful solutions—from reimagining heritage spaces to transport and trams— Before we begin, I’d like to welcome Lyndon, the visionary behind the Make Calcutta Relevant Again movement, which inspired the Sandbox CCU Challenge’s mission of reimagining the city and creating positive narratives,” said Rohaan.
Together, Pauline and Rohaan created a strong support system for the participants, ensuring they not only came up with innovative solutions but also gained the confidence to present them effectively.
Adding to the vibrancy of the program was a distinguished lineup of guests who inspired participants with their experience and insights. Sujata Chatterjee (Founder, Twirl.store), Swati Gautam (Founder, Necessity), Rajanvir Singh Kapur (IAS), Ajay Binani (Founder, BeyondAvg/MinimalisTee), Dr. Samir Karkhanis (CEO, Yangpoo Executive Education), Dhrubajyoti Bose Suvo (Founder, Massart), and Aditya Poddar (Co-founder, Knowledge Capsules) all shared valuable perspectives that encouraged students to think boldly and act purposefully.
The closing day of Sandbox CCU 2025 saw the presence of Meghdut Roy Chowdhury, Chief Innovation Officer at Techno India Group and Founder of Make Calcutta Relevant Again (MCRA), who addressed the participants with an inspiring message. He encouraged the students to think beyond conventional boundaries and reminded them that ““First, a round of applause for Pauline, who made this project happen, and for Rohan, whose energy has been infectious throughout this program. He curated and built this with such passion that I couldn’t have delegated it to anyone better—Now, the big news: the top teams from Sandbox CCU will have a permanent pavilion at the CCU Festival from 19th–21st September at the Biswa Bangla Exhibition Centre, showcasing their ideas before 15,000 people. Performances by Bipul Chettri, Vikram Ghosh, Akash Gupta, and many others will add to the celebration—This program is about reimagining Calcutta—not just celebrating the past, but also the possibilities of the future. Whatever the outcome, Calcutta wins.
And since today is Teacher’s Day, let me share: as a school kid at Birla High, I once saw a fearless speaker at a city debate. She taught me that you don’t have to agree with everyone, but you can disagree respectfully and still inspire learning. That lesson has stayed with me ever since.”
“If I respect your time, you’ll respect mine. Always clock your time, never overstay your welcome. Respect those you learn from—teachers are everywhere, even in brief interactions. Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Maheshwara… Creativity is thinking new. Innovation is applying that creativity. If you only think and never implement, it goes nowhere. If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got. To be an innovator, do what is different, unique, and fearless… Failure is a necessary part of the journey. The only way to achieve greatness is to fail greatly. Similarly, intelligence today is measured by your ability to adapt to change—it will always challenge you, and you must learn to face it.
Finally, vision transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary. A pile of rocks stops being just a pile when someone contemplates it as a school building. That is the essence of innovation: seeing potential and making it real.”- Swati Gautam, Founder, Necessity.
Behind the scenes, a dedicated team worked tirelessly with Pauline and Rohaan to make the program a success. Anshika Vijay (Games and Interaction Designer at Elseplay), Rachana Das (Stakeholder and BD Manager, The Rebalance Institute), and Aishika Chakraborty (Operations and Program Manager, The Rebalance Institute) played a crucial role in handling the coordination, operations, and participant engagement throughout the week. Their support ensured that the students were guided, the sessions ran seamlessly, and the energy of the event never faltered.
This edition of Sandbox CCU was truly special because of the students themselves. Their energy, thrill, and relentless dedication lit up the entire week. What stood out the most was how these young minds — all of them freshers just beginning their college journey — approached their projects with honesty, creativity, and a pure heart. The hard work they poured into shaping their ideas surprised everyone, offering a refreshing glimpse into how the next generation is ready to reimagine the future with courage and sincerity.