Samsung to Strengthen Digital and STEM Education in Tamil Nadu; Launches DigiArivu Programme
Chennai — On November 19, 2025, Samsung announced a new push to bolster digital and STEM learning in Tamil Nadu with the rollout of DigiArivu, a community-driven education initiative developed in partnership with the United Nations Global Compact Network India. The programme targets government schools in tier-2 and tier-3 regions, aiming to make technology-enabled learning a daily reality for thousands of students.
In its first phase, DigiArivu will support 10 government schools across Kancheepuram and Ranipet. The plan is ambitious but focused: refresh infrastructure, seed classrooms with digital tools, upskill teachers, and uplift the broader school community. More than 3,000 students are expected to benefit as the model takes root.
What sets this project apart is how it was designed. Interventions were shaped using on-ground research by the UN network, with direct input from community members and employees at Samsung’s Sriperumbudur facility. The goal is to fix gaps that matter most inside classrooms—whether that’s access to devices, the way rooms are designed, or how teachers are supported in delivering hands-on STEM lessons.
What DigiArivu brings to classrooms
- Infrastructure with purpose: School spaces will be upgraded using Building as Learning Aid (BaLA) principles, turning walls and corridors into interactive learning elements.
- Digital-first learning: Classrooms will receive equipment to enable regular digital instruction and student engagement with tech.
- Activity-based STEM: Students will learn through experiments and projects that make core concepts tangible.
- Teacher enablement: Structured training sessions will help educators integrate digital tools and experiential modules into lesson plans.
- Beyond academics: Sports kits, new libraries with Tamil and English titles plus competitive exam prep materials, and health awareness camps.
- Future pathways: Career guidance for Class 12 students and expert-led talks to demystify tech careers.
- Community connection: Celebrations of key days and events with local participation to keep parents and neighborhoods engaged.
The initiative was introduced at a launch event at The Anna Centenary Library in Kotturpuram, attended by the state’s School Education leadership and district administrators from Kancheepuram and Ranipet. Their presence underlined a shared public-private intent: strengthen STEM education and expand digital inclusion in the state’s government school network.
Samsung’s leadership framed DigiArivu as a long-term investment in talent and access, with a focus on building confidence in young learners and equipping teachers to guide them. The company emphasized that meaningful tech adoption hinges on inclusion—every child, regardless of background, should be able to participate in today’s digital economy. The programme also aligns with Samsung’s broader mission to help accelerate India’s digital growth.
From the UN network’s perspective, DigiArivu demonstrates the impact of practical collaboration between industry and civil society. The design mirrors core Sustainable Development Goals: elevate quality education, reduce inequalities, and ensure that the digital transition doesn’t leave public school students behind.
A broader skilling pipeline: Samsung Innovation Campus
Running parallel to DigiArivu, Samsung is expanding youth skilling through its Samsung Innovation Campus. This year in Tamil Nadu alone, 5,000 students are being trained in high-demand areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Big Data, and Coding & Programming. Delivered in partnership with established training organizations, the programme is geared toward industry-relevant skills and employability—helping learners step into a future tech workforce with confidence.
Why this matters now
For schools outside metro hubs, the digital divide often starts with infrastructure and continues with teacher support. DigiArivu’s layered approach—spaces that teach, tools that empower, and training that sticks—targets these friction points head-on. For students, that means hands-on STEM experiences rather than rote learning. For teachers, it’s practical scaffolding to bring digital pedagogy to life.
The ripple effects extend beyond the classroom. A stronger foundation in digital literacy and problem-solving feeds directly into emerging fields across India’s tech economy—from software and data to design, robotics, and interactive media. Even industries adjacent to gaming and immersive technologies benefit when students get early exposure to applied STEM and structured career guidance.
Ultimately, the success of DigiArivu will be measured not just by devices delivered or rooms redesigned, but by how confidently students navigate technology, how creatively they approach problems, and how effectively schools sustain these changes. With government support and community input built into the model, Tamil Nadu’s latest education push could offer a replicable blueprint for other regions looking to modernize public schooling at scale.
