The soft whirr of motors blends with sudden bursts of excited chatter and the occasional cheer when a robot finally moves as planned. Saturdays at the Robotics and STEM Club of Brainybotz in Lawsons Bay Colony in Visakhapatnam brim with energy and discovery. Mentors drift between teams, offering guidance while letting curiosity lead the way. From coding simple circuits to building clever machines out of sensors, wires and endless questions, the sessions feel less like a structured class and more like a joyful laboratory where ideas take shape.

On these evenings, Nagashilpa Seethamraju and Gayathri Vadavalli, the co-founders and directors of Brainybotz Edtech Pvt. Ltd., and their team of mentors remain occupied with a lively group of children between seven and 14 years of age. Many arrive with a readiness to build, while others prefer to observe quietly until something in the room draws them in. The team makes space for both approaches. Children who hesitate at first are encouraged to watch freely, handle components when they feel comfortable and take small steps towards participation. “An unpressured environment often allows the reluctant learners to find their own pace,” says Nagashilpa. Over several sessions, they shift gradually from merely watching their classmates to trying ideas themselves, aided by the unstructured and exploratory nature of the club. The origins of Brainybotz goes back to 2017, when Nagashilpa returned to Visakhapatnam after 17 years in the United States. Her elder son was then in Grade 4. She recalls noticing immediately that his American school had emphasised practical science, while most Indian classrooms prioritised theoretical study. “I wanted to bridge this gap,” says Nagashilpa, who holds a Master’s degree from the University of Hartford, Connecticut, is certified in Lego EV3 by Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Academy and is also a Raspberry Pi certified educator. She began by teaching robotics to a few friends’ children, using hands-on activities to help them translate textbook concepts into real-world understanding.

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