This Hyderabad-based startup’s mobile lab helps students access emerging tech

Imparting quality education in rural India is a big challenge. One of the obstacles is the lack of adequate infrastructure as rural schools often find it difficult to arrange computer labs, teaching aids, and up-to-date textbooks. These hinder students’ curiosity and development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Entrepreneur Madhulash Babu’s solution is a mobile lab to help students learn and get hands-on experience with such gadgets to build curiosity.

The flagship offering of Hyderabad-based edtech startup Edodwaja, the Futuristic Lab On Wheels (FLOW) bus visits schools and colleges across Telangana, enabling students to learn and explore tech tools first-hand. The solar-powered bus is equipped with high-end tech including a 3D printing machine, AR/VR glasses, weather station, and Alexa-controlled lighting.

“Our FLOW bus is a state-of-the-art mobile lab that is the first in India. FLOW bus enables us to deliver our services also to students in remote areas,” Babu, Founder and CEO of Edodwaja, tells YourStory.

The aim of the bus is to impart hands-on education combined with theoretical learning to bridge the tech learning gap prevalent among students living outside cities and help them master modern technologies.

Curiosity to creation

Invest India estimates the current valuation of the edtech sector is $7.5 billion in 2024. However, cutting-edge technologies like AI-powered learning, robotics, extended reality, and gamification are often only available to a select few who can afford them.

“I studied in a government school till 10th…I was very interested in these [AR, VR, robotics etc.] technologies since childhood and participated in science exhibitions such as The National Children's Science Congress while in school,” says Babu, however, he faced a lack of support. “On the resources front, there were difficulties in accessing tech.”

While pursuing a BTech degree at Malla Reddy College of Engineering and Technology, Hyderabad, he began imparting his expertise in robotics to his juniors. He then onboarded fellow batchmates, expanded to offline workshops, and created DIY kits. What started as a personal initiative soon grew to impact over 5,000 students across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Also Read

How this Mangalore-based edtech startup is making learning child’s play

He realised that there was a significant gap in access to emerging technology, creating disparities in exposure and skill development that could shape future career paths. In 2021, he founded Edodwaja to reach out to remote areas and government schools to help many students like himself who did not have access to see and experience such technology.

Edodwaja offers online courses, operates a mobile lab—the FLOW bus—and has offline lab centres.

The startup has raised a total funding of $120,000 for the FLOW bus.

“I received a grant of $100,000 from Emergent Ventures and an additional Rs 25 lakh from the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (in the form of compulsorily convertible debentures) through the SPMVV Society for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship - Technology Business Incubator,” says Babu. Edodwaja has also received sponsorship from WitBlocks for the robotics kits and Vidyardi for smart boards.

Babu, VR developer Shreyash, and designer Revanth Chary, designed the VR model of the bus in seven months and got it constructed through a bus bodybuilder in Delhi. The FLOW bus was inaugurated on June 10 this year by Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.

Learning on the go

The mobile lab has 16 zones, including AR, VR, weather station, Internet of Things, tech tools, programming, aerospace, maker space, holograms, smart energy, and 3D printing. The FLOW bus also features an inflatable mobile planetarium designed to accommodate up to 40 learners at a time.

The startup charges Rs 350 per student during school visits. In the last four months, it has conducted a total of six visits across the state, from government schools to even the Indian School of Business (ISB).

Each visit hosts three programmes—'Innovate yourself’, ‘Design yourself’, and ‘Recreate yourself’.

The first programme lets students observe and learn about the various gadgets available on the bus. The second provides them with DIY kits to work in groups and build a tech project. In the third step, the students are given a run-through of the mobile application, which offers learning material and tutorials on emerging technologies.

The startup, which operates with a team of 20, also opened its FlowSpots Makers space, an offline lab experience centre, in August. Students must take monthly passes which range between Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000, and can access the same technologies as the bus.

It has enrolled 20 students in its course, and approximately 100 have registered for workshops held at FlowSpots, adds Babu.

The startup also offers online courses in Python and web designing internships using WordPress priced at Rs 1,200; and Advanced Robotics, and a mentorship programme, priced at Rs 1,999.

Online courses operate on a peer teaching peer model and have only about 150 registrations as the startup had been preoccupied with developing the lab on wheels, the founder says.

Funding and future plans

The company earned a revenue of Rs 7.5 lakh in FY24 and has high ambitions; it aims for a Rs 5 crore revenue in FY25.

“We are developing a learning management system (LMS) that will enable us to reach a wider audience through targeted marketing. Additionally, we are planning to expand FlowSpots as a franchise model, which should help us achieve larger revenue goals and drive our motivation to scale quickly,” said Babu.

Edodwaja looks to raise Rs 3 crore for building a second bus as well as for the LMS platform for the online courses.

Also in the pipeline is a 33-district yatra across Telangana, where the bus will spend between 1-3 days per district.

“At the end of the yatra, we plan to host an event where these students can showcase their projects and ideas. We will also provide continued mentorship to these students for three months after the yatra,” notes Babu.

Edodwaja plans to build one bus per major technology, such as robotics, IoT, and 3D printing. In the next five years, the company plans to take its mobile labs pan India with 10 buses.

The team is currently building an app, Edodwaja Connect for Tutoring. “Tech students can register on the app as tutors in the subjects they excel in, and teach school students or junior college students pursuing similar courses,” says Babu.

Additionally, these students can earn part-time income and a certificate upon completing 100 hours of teaching, he adds.