Chennai: A team of engineering students from Chennai has emerged victorious at the NASA International Space Apps Challenge 2025, beating more than 18,000 projects from across the world to win the prestigious “Most Inspirational” award for their innovative satellite internet concept aimed at bridging India’s digital divide.
The six-member team from SRM Easwari Engineering College, Ramapuram, developed a project titled “Photonics Odyssey,” also known as AakashNet, which proposes a low-cost, high-speed satellite-based internet system designed specifically for India’s remote and underserved villages. Their submission was selected among the top ten global projects at the annual hackathon, one of the largest of its kind worldwide.
Second-year electronics and communication engineering student Prasanth Gopalakrishnan, who led the team, said the project draws inspiration from the Indian Space Research Organisation’s long-standing approach of delivering reliable space technology at globally unmatched cost efficiency. He said AakashNet adopts an India-first philosophy, focusing on affordability, indigenous manufacturing and public-sector support rather than profit-driven commercial models.
Gopalakrishnan said most global satellite internet systems follow a heavily commercial approach, with hardware manufactured abroad and imported into India, significantly increasing costs and limiting accessibility for large sections of the population. He added that AakashNet explores how ISRO’s efficiency-driven working model could be applied to satellite broadband infrastructure using publicly available data and real-world system constraints.
Launched in 2012, the NASA International Space Apps Challenge encourages participants to use NASA’s free and open data from satellites, telescopes and missions to develop solutions for challenges on Earth and in space. With their proposal now carrying what Gopalakrishnan described as a “NASA stamp,” the team hopes to receive institutional support to develop AakashNet as a public digital utility.
The winning team included Rajalingam N, Rashi Menon and Sakthi Sanjeev Kumar from the electronics and communication engineering department, along with Deeraj Kumar and Manish Varma D from the computer science engineering department, specialising in artificial intelligence and machine learning. Gopalakrishnan said the team was formed based on individual strengths, with electronics students focusing on hardware and communication system design, while computer science students handled software development and simulations.
He said the team learned about the NASA Space Apps Challenge in June through their college’s Odyssey Space Club and spent nearly three months refining their idea. After exploring several problem statements, they chose “commercialising LEO” as it aligned with both their technical expertise and social-impact goals.
AakashNet, he said, distinguishes itself from foreign satellite internet providers by prioritising public impact, indigenous technology and affordability for rural communities. He emphasised that cost reduction is critical if internet access is to reach remote and economically weaker regions.
Gopalakrishnan also credited SRM Easwari Engineering College for providing strong institutional support, including mentors, research scholars, laboratory access and innovation clubs that encouraged interdisciplinary collaboration. He said AakashNet reflects not just a student idea, but the academic ecosystem that nurtured it.
At its current conceptual stage, the team plans to submit technical documentation, patent details and detailed proposals to ISRO and other relevant Indian public sector institutions for technical review and potential collaboration. Gopalakrishnan said the long-term vision is not rapid commercialisation, but methodical development under national leadership, ensuring technological sovereignty and public benefit.
