Techno India’s Sandbox CCU Edition 2.0, held from 25th August to 5th September 2025, concluded with a showcase of projects that addressed the theme “Sustainable Kolkata.” On the final day, ten semi-finalists were announced. Among them, Team Serein earned recognition for their project Moner Adda, which sought to tackle one of the city’s most pressing but least discussed issues: mental health. Their motto, “Building a mentally healthier, calmer Kolkata for the next generation,” reflected their belief that true sustainability must include the well-being of people.
Team Serein began with a stark observation: mental health challenges among Kolkata’s youth are rising at alarming rates. They described this as a growing crisis, where silent struggles such as stress, anxiety, and loneliness ripple outward to affect families, workplaces, and the city’s social fabric. The team argued that if left unaddressed, this problem could undermine Kolkata’s future, as young people form the backbone of its economy and culture.
To better understand the crisis, the team introduced two user personas. The first was Rohan Sharma, an 18-year-old B. Tech student in computer science, who faces constant academic pressure and digital overload. The second was Ananya Singh, a 25-year-old software developer, balancing long hours at work with the weight of expectations at home. Both personas reflected how young people, despite their different stages of life, share common struggles of stress, isolation, and hesitation to seek help due to stigma. By grounding their project in these personas, Team Serein emphasized that mental health challenges are not abstract concepts but lived realities.
Their research highlighted Kolkata’s pulse through alarming data. Surveys and studies show that urban youth are increasingly vulnerable to stress-related disorders, with technology both connecting and isolating them. The team pointed out how constant digital exposure contributes to feelings of loneliness, while cultural stigma prevents many from accessing therapy. Despite being a city known for its creativity and intellect, Kolkata has limited affordable mental health resources, leaving large sections of the population unsupported. This gap between rising demand and limited access formed the foundation of Moner Adda.
Team Serein envisioned Kolkata’s modern therapy café — a safe, welcoming, and stigma-free space where people can openly discuss their mental health. Unlike traditional clinical setups, these cafés would create a calming environment that encourages conversation, peer support, and professional guidance. They would host creative workshops, mindfulness sessions, and group activities to make therapy more approachable. To overcome accessibility issues, the team also proposed linking these cafés with digital support platforms, allowing people like Rohan or Ananya to seek help from home if they are unable or unwilling to attend in person.
The strength of Moner Adda lay in its dual focus: normalizing mental health conversations while lowering barriers to care. By embedding therapy into everyday community spaces, the project sought to dismantle stigma. By offering hybrid offline and online services, it aimed to reach more people across the city. In essence, the project positioned mental wellness not as a luxury but as a necessity for Kolkata’s sustainable future.
The team described the potential ripple effects of their model. A mentally healthier youth population would mean better academic performance, stronger professional output, and reduced healthcare costs from stress-related illnesses. Families would benefit from calmer, more supportive environments, while the city as a whole would gain from a population that is resilient, productive, and empathetic. Team Serein argued that without addressing the mental well-being of its residents, Kolkata’s broader visions of sustainability — from clean air to efficient transport — would remain incomplete.
Their path forward included scaling up the therapy café model across neighborhoods, supported by community initiatives, partnerships with mental health professionals, and digital tools for outreach. They also stressed the importance of continuous awareness campaigns, particularly targeting schools, colleges, and workplaces where the need is greatest
On the final day of Sandbox CCU, Team Serein’s presentation stood out for its empathy and depth of research. Judges and guests noted the courage it took to address a subject that is often pushed aside in public discourse. Their structured approach — beginning with silent struggles, moving through user personas and research data, and culminating in the concept of therapy cafés — showed both clarity and compassion. While other teams tackled infrastructure, pollution, or transport, Serein reminded the audience that a truly sustainable city must also be one where its residents feel supported and understood.
As Sandbox CCU Edition 2.0 drew to a close, Moner Adda left an impression that innovation is not just about technology but also about humanity. By centring their work on mental health, Team Serein gave voice to the unspoken struggles of a generation and offered a vision of Kolkata where wellness is as important as development. Their motto, “Building a mentally healthier, calmer Kolkata for the next generation,” summed up their mission to create not just a smarter city, but also a kinder one.