Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan was in the spotlight for a different reason on Thursday. Alongside Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, he inaugurated a brand new STEM lab at Sarvodaya Vidyalaya in Pitampura. The facility has come up with support from Human Mobile Devices under its CSR work and will give more than 2,500 students access to modern, hands-on learning in science, technology, engineering and maths. This is the latest step in the Shikhar Dhawan Foundation’s Digital Shiksha programme, which has already reached thousands of kids across Delhi government schools with smart classrooms and digital tools.

The project builds on an earlier MoU between Da One Group and the Delhi education department. Sophie Dhawan has also been closely involved through the foundation. Officials say the goal is to push students beyond rote learning and give them skills that will matter in an increasingly tech-driven world. CM Rekha Gupta called it the start of a new era of innovation for Delhi’s government school kids and stressed that every child should get the chance to dream big with proper facilities.

What the New STEM Lab Brings for Students

The lab is designed for practical learning rather than just textbooks. Kids will get to try robotics, coding, artificial intelligence modules and other interactive science experiments. The next phase of the foundation’s work will be moving from digital screens in classrooms to a proper experiential space where students can actually build and test ideas. Dhawan has spoken about how tomorrow’s champions are shaped in today’s classrooms, and this seems to be his way of putting that belief into action with the Delhi government and HMD.

“The champions of tomorrow are shaped in today's classrooms. At the Shikhar Dhawan Foundation, we have always believed that giving back to society begins with investing in our children and their future," Dhawan said.

"Digital Shiksha was created with that belief, and the launch of this STEM Lab marks the next step in that journey. Every child deserves the opportunity to learn, explore and innovate, and I am grateful to the Government of Delhi and HMD for joining us in creating those opportunities for thousands of young minds," the former Indian cricketer added.

Shikhar Dhawan continues the quiet work he’s been doing away from the cricket field. The foundation has already helped over 25,000 students with digital tools since 2022. Now with this STEM lab up and running in Pitampura, more government school children in the capital will get a proper taste of modern science education.