Indian student trio shine at Web Summit Qatar

Three Indian students won the top prize in the ‘Rising Innovators Competition’ hosted by the Qatar Research, Development, and Innovation Council (QRDI) at Web Summit Qatar 2025.

The artificial intelligence-powered logistics innovation, Modular Automated Sorting Hub (MASH), is designed to transform logistics operations by efficiently sorting documents and parcels.

The winning trio are Hanish Abdulla from Kuttiady, Kozhikode, Kerala (first-year Computer Science student, Leeds University, England); Jai Adhithya from Chennai, Tamil Nadu (first-year Electrical Engineering student, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus); and Nihal Ashik from Thrissur, Kerala (first-year Mechanical Engineering student, University of Doha for Science and Technology).

Their project received critical support from DHL Qatar, which provided the necessary infrastructure to develop the technology. Dr Kishore Kumar, a scientist at the Centre for Advanced Materials and Mechanical Engineering, Qatar University, mentored the students, offering expert guidance and lab access.
Following their Web Summit victory, a Silicon Valley-based startup and a global logistics company have expressed interest in commercialising MASH, opening doors for international expansion.

Built on a scalable, stand-alone modular system, MASH enables fast, cost-effective, and AI-driven sorting of parcels and documents. The technology also has potential applications in industries such as food, medical, and printing.

The trio had already made headlines last year while plus two students at Birla Public School, Doha when they co-authored the book Become A Maker: An Introduction to Hobby Robotics, now available in international libraries and on Amazon. Their next stop is ITEX 2025 in May in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where they have been invited and representing Qatar.