As part of the 2024–2025 Provost’s Global Faculty Awards (PGFA) initiative, The Vidyut Project brought together a unique collaboration between the University of Chicago’s STAGE Center and the Centre for Technology Alternatives for Rural Areas (CTARA) at IIT Bombay to promote energy-efficient irrigation practices in rural India.
Led by Sunanda Prabhu-Gaunkar (Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, UChicago), and Himali Mhatre and Vivek Shinde (CTARA, IIT Bombay), the project developed two creative board games—Capacitor Raja and Sinchan Sharyat—that use storytelling and play to raise awareness about low-cost tools like capacitors, which can significantly improve electricity and water use in farming.
The team piloted the games in Beed district, Maharashtra, engaging with local farmers, women, and children. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with community members expressing both curiosity and excitement about the games' potential to simplify technical knowledge and improve daily practices.
By blending science, creativity, and grassroots engagement, The Vidyut Project demonstrated how playful learning, and cross-cultural collaboration can drive meaningful behavioural change in sustainability efforts—one game at a time.
