VISAKHAPATNAM: Manas Malla, a fourth-year Computer Science and Engineering student at GITAM Deemed to be University in Visakhapatnam, is all set to meet Apple CEO Tim Cook on June 9 after he aced the tech giant's Swift Student Challenge 2026. He is among the top 15 students globally to have cracked the challenge, and is the only one from India to secure a spot in this elite group.
Malla developed an offline augmented reality (AR)-based personalised learning application named STEMQuest, which has earned him the opportunity to visit Apple Park for the Worldwide Developers Conference, where he will have a one-on-one interaction with Tim Cook.
About STEMQuest
STEMQuest is designed to act as a friendly and supportive tutor for students. Inspired by his own struggles with rote learning and the growing stress faced by students in India, Malla replaced regular quizzes with AI-based storytelling and facial-tracking technology to better understand students' emotions and learning patterns. Using native languages, regional dialects, and accessible technology, the app aims to make learning more interesting, inclusive, and less stressful.
Malla's idea to develop the learning app received a significant boost when he represented GITAM at Startup Mahakumbh in New Delhi, where he shared his vision for STEMQuest with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who encouraged him to turn his vision into reality. In February, just a week before Apple's challenge deadline, Malla redesigned his idea into a digital-first application. The new version became STEMQuest, an offline AI-powered educational platform designed like a video call with animated tutors representing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Students can choose a topic and interact with a friendly virtual mentor, which feels like speaking to a friend, instead of sitting through a stressful classroom session.
Empathy-Driven Learning
According to Malla, the app's biggest strength is empathy-driven learning. Instead of depending on regular tests and quizzes, the platform tries to understand whether a student is confused, interested, happy, or frustrated through facial tracking and augmented reality features, he told the Times of India.
Another key feature is personalisation. STEMQuest explains concepts using students' hobbies and interests. On-device AI-generated visuals and storytelling make learning more engaging, interactive, and less intimidating for students, he said, crediting his mentors Vikas Srivatsav and Monica Sree Goud of GITAM Venture Development Center (VDC) for playing a key role in the app's success.
Background and Inspiration
Malla said his thinking and approach towards education were strongly influenced by his childhood experiences in the United States, where he completed his preschool to first grade from 2008 to 2011 while his father, Professor M Raman Rao, was pursuing postdoctoral research. During these years, Malla experienced an education system that encouraged exploration, curiosity, and learning through experimentation rather than fear or punishment.
After returning to India in 2011, he studied at a CBSE school in Visakhapatnam, where he again had a relatively open learning environment. However, things changed during his intermediate years (classes 11 and 12). He saw intense academic pressure around him and many students struggling emotionally while preparing for competitive examinations.
One incident that deeply affected him was a close friend attempting suicide over IIT entrance examination results. That, along with the larger student mental health crisis in India, convinced Malla that the education system needed a more caring and humane approach.
From Corporate Dreams to Entrepreneurship
The idea for STEMQuest grew from these experiences. Malla never planned to become an entrepreneur; instead, he wanted to become the CEO of a MAANG company (an acronym for the top US technology giants Meta, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google). However, after joining the VDC at GITAM and participating in the university's SmartIDEAthon competition, he developed an interest in the startup and innovation space.
The first version of STEMQuest was not even a mobile app. It included comic books, origami exercises, augmented reality experience tools, and mobile-based learning assessments. It was when the team received recognition from IIT-Hyderabad and a grant of 2 lakh rupees that they began developing and testing the product with school students. However, they soon realised the model would be difficult to scale efficiently.
Accessibility and Inclusivity
Realising that accessibility and inclusion are equally important, Malla ensured that the platform supports visually impaired users through voice-based interaction, while also offering keyboard communication for students with hearing or speech impairments, along with high-contrast accessibility features.
Importantly, the app is designed to work offline and on low-cost smartphones so that students without expensive devices or strong internet connections are not left behind. It also supports multiple Indian languages and local dialects directly on the device.
Upcoming Visit to Apple Park
During his week-long visit to the United States, Malla will tour Apple Park and interact with the company's engineers working on technologies such as SwiftUI, Core Data, and Apple's on-device AI models. He will also gain access to Apple's developer ecosystem, in addition to receiving a one-year Apple Developer membership.
