THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn., USA – DigiKey, the global distribution leader of electronic components and automation products, announces the winners of its Smart Home & Wearables Project Design Contest 2025 with Circuit Digest. Engineers, makers, students and hobbyists across India were invited to submit their innovative project ideas for a chance to win prizes worth ₹7,00,000 and free development boards to help bring their concepts to life.
The contest received 889 submissions from 2,959 participants. From these entries, the top 60 projects were shortlisted for their potential to create meaningful impact, as well as for their creativity, innovation and dedication demonstrated throughout the competition.
DigiKey supported the top 60 participants by providing free development boards from Analog Devices, Adafruit and Espressif Systems for use in their project designs. Participants also received access to dedicated learning resources, sample projects and comprehensive guides to help them begin their development journey.
The winning projects include:
- First place: Kavach by Ashish Joy, a desktop AI-assisted communication and smart home support device designed specifically for elderly users who struggle with smartphones or modern digital interfaces
- Second place: Find My Book – AI & IoT Smart Library Navigation & Inventory by Aman Gandotra, a smart library management system designed to automate the processes of book searching, issuing, returning and theft detection
- Third place: Gesture Link by Moksha Kumbhaj, an assistive technology system designed to improve communication and independence for differently-abled individuals
First‑place winner, Joy, received ₹1,30,000, second‑place winner, Gandotra, received ₹70,000, and third‑place winner, Kumbhaj, received ₹45,000. In addition to the top three awards, the challenge honored the ten most creative projects with ₹8,500 each.
“The Smart Home & Wearables Project Contest continues to demonstrate the incredible depth of engineering talent and creativity across India,” said Ben Brookes, director of regional marketing for DigiKey. “We are truly inspired by the innovative solutions submitted this year, from practical IoT applications to ambitious wearable concepts that accelerate progress. Congratulations to all the winners and participants.”
For more information about the suppliers and products in DigiKey’s portfolio, please visit DigiKey.com.
