Lucknow: More than 600 students from schools, colleges and universities across the country participated in the fifth edition of Maharishi BotFiesta-2026, a two-day national-level technical competition held at the Lucknow campus of Maharishi University of Information Technology (MUIT).
Organised by the Maharishi School of Engineering and Technology in collaboration with the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) on October 30 and 31, the event provided a platform for students to demonstrate their skills in robotics, drone technology, automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Nine technical competitions were organised, featuring innovative models, robots and technology-based projects.
The event was inaugurated by Dr Milind Raj, popularly known as the ‘Drone Man of India’, who interacted with participants and discussed emerging opportunities in drone technology and innovation.
At the concluding ceremony on October 31, Vinod Kumar, Regional Director, RCMA, DRDO, Lucknow, attended as the chief guest and felicitated the winning students and teams.
The competitions included Drone Racing Challenge, Robo SpeedX, Robo Soccer League, RoboVision Talks, Robo Tug Challenge, Robo Combat Arena, LineX Autonomous Challenge, AI InnovateX Grand Hackathon and Project Showcase. Participants demonstrated their expertise in robot design, programming, electronic circuits, automation and artificial intelligence.
Institutions Secure Top Honours
Team GROBOTS-1 of Shri Ramswaroop Memorial College of Engineering secured first position in the Drone Racing Challenge. In Robo SpeedX, HBTU Kanpur’s team Blackout Bots won the senior category, while CMS Kanpur Road emerged victorious in the junior category.
In RoboVision Talks, Viraj Bhatia and Virat Bhatia of CMS Kanpur Road secured the junior category title. Lucknow University’s team Banana won the senior category of Project Showcase, while students of CMS Kanpur Road secured the junior category.
In the AI InnovateX Grand Hackathon, Shaurya Jain of Brightland School won the junior category, while team Triple 9 from SR Institute of Management and Technology secured first position in the senior category.
The LineX Autonomous Challenge saw team Route Ranger of Amity International School win the junior category, while team Reboners of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Language University emerged victorious in the senior category.
Several reputed institutions participated in the competition, including Lucknow University, Harcourt Butler Technical University (HBTU), Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Language University, Dr Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University, Amity University, Chandigarh University, IFTM University, Shri Ramswaroop Memorial College of Engineering, SR Institute of Management and Technology and GCRG Group of Institutions.
Students from La Martiniere, City Montessori School, Brightland School and SKD Academy also participated.
Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr Bhanu Pratap Singh, Registrar Dr Girish Chhimwal and Dean Academics, Lucknow Campus, Dr Neeraj Jain, along with heads of departments, faculty members and university officials, were present at the event.
According to the university management, Maharishi BotFiesta aims to encourage students to move beyond classroom learning and explore the practical applications of emerging technologies. Such initiatives help develop scientific thinking, creativity, teamwork and problem-solving abilities while preparing students for future technological challenges.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=RtToJsBhYBatUrym&v=mOuYNSdhjHA&feature=youtu.be
