Fireblaze AI School founder Aniruddha Kalbande mentored multiple student teams that secured top positions at Orange Promptathon 2026, a major AI innovation and problem-solving competition organized at Ramdeobaba University in association with NASSCOM.
The event brought together aspiring AI innovators, engineering students, and industry leaders to solve real-world industrial problem statements using Artificial Intelligence, Prompt Engineering, and modern technology workflows.
Among the top-performing teams were students mentored and guided by Aniruddha Kalbande through intensive preparation sessions focused on industry understanding, AI workflows, presentation skills, and practical problem-solving.
The final results included:
🏆 Winner – Team Supa Strikas
🥈 First Runner-Up – Team Dev1010
🥉 Second Runner-Up – Team ArchiTechs
The achievement highlighted the growing capability of students from Nagpur and Tier-2 cities to compete on industry-focused national innovation platforms.
The Journey Started in a Classroom
On 10th April 2026, a classroom session was conducted to prepare students for Orange Promptathon.
There was no stage, no audience, and no celebration atmosphere.
Only preparation.
Students sat inside a classroom reviewing a “Final Checklist” presentation while discussing technology, industry challenges, and how to approach enterprise-level problem statements.
At that point, nobody knew what the final outcome would be 35 days later.
The participating teams were preparing to solve real industrial AI problems evaluated by global technology and business leaders.
The challenge was intimidating.
The problem statements were real.
The judges were experienced global leaders.
The expectations were high.
But instead of waiting to “feel ready,” the students began preparing for the realities of industry itself.
Preparing Students Beyond Coding
The preparation process focused not only on technical implementation, but also on helping students think and communicate like professionals.
The sessions covered critical concepts including:
- Understanding the HVAC industry
- AI-assisted problem solving
- Prompt Engineering workflows
- Presentation structuring
- Team collaboration
- Industry research
- Product thinking
- Communication confidence
- Pitching technical solutions to leadership teams
Students were trained to answer practical real-world questions such as:
- What is HVAC and how does the industry operate?
- How can AI solve industrial workflow problems?
- How do prompts work inside modern AI systems?
- How do you explain your technology stack to a CIO?
- How do you pitch a technical solution in under five minutes with clarity and confidence?
The objective was not simply to prepare students for a hackathon.
The objective was to expose them to how real-world technology problem solving actually works.
This practical and experiential learning approach closely aligns with the philosophy of Fireblaze AI School, which emphasizes learning through projects, presentations, practical implementation, and real industry exposure.
The Work Behind the Stage
While audiences saw presentations, trophies, and final rankings on stage, the actual transformation happened behind the scenes.
Students balanced:
- College examinations
- Team discussions
- Project development
- AI experimentation
- Presentation rehearsals
- Technical debugging
- Research and documentation
There were long nights fixing broken code, repeated practice sessions, and continuous iterations on ideas and solutions.
That unseen effort became the real foundation of success.
According to mentor Aniruddha Kalbande:
“The trophies were won on stage, but the real winning happened during the preparation process. Students learned how to think, build, communicate, collaborate, and solve problems under pressure. That experience matters far beyond a competition.”
Industry Leaders and Ecosystem Participation
Orange Promptathon 2026 featured participation and evaluation from respected leaders across technology, enterprise, and academia.
The event included notable industry and institutional leaders such as:
- Kamal Sharma
- Rajendra Jodhpurkar
- Richa Bajaj Ganeriwal
- Kulwinder Singh
- Khushal Vyas
- Dr. S S Mantha
- Dr. Manoj B Chandak
- Siddharth Wakodikar
The event demonstrated the increasing collaboration between industry, academia, and AI-focused innovation ecosystems in India.
Building AI Talent from Bharat
Founded in 2017, Fireblaze AI School was created with a mission to bridge the gap between traditional education and real-world technology careers.
The organization focuses heavily on experiential learning, industry-oriented skill development, AI education, and career readiness for students from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.
Over the years, the institution has worked toward helping ambitious students gain:
- Practical exposure
- Industry confidence
- Professional communication skills
- Career-oriented mentorship
- AI and Data Science capabilities
- Real-world project experience
The Orange Promptathon outcomes represent a broader movement where students from Bharat are increasingly proving their capability to compete, innovate, and present solutions on industry-level platforms.
A Message to Future Innovators
Competitions like Orange Promptathon can initially feel overwhelming for students.
The problems are complex.
The judges are experienced.
The pressure is real.
But innovation rarely begins with confidence.
It begins with curiosity, preparation, consistency, and the willingness to step forward despite uncertainty.
The success of these teams demonstrates that students from Nagpur and other Tier-2 cities are fully capable of building world-class AI solutions when given the right exposure, mentorship, and opportunities.
The next winning AI team could emerge from any classroom, any college, and any student willing to start building.
About Fireblaze AI School
Fireblaze AI School is an experiential AI and technology learning ecosystem headquartered in Nagpur.
Founded by Aniruddha Kalbande, the organization focuses on industry-oriented learning in:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Data Science
- Data Analytics
- Full Stack Development
- Emerging Technologies
The institution emphasizes experiential learning through practical projects, mentorship, presentations, internships, collaborative learning, and real-world industry exposure to help students become industry-ready professionals.