Cyient DLM Managing Director Rajendra Velagapudi and Food 4 Thought Foundation co founder Shefali Rao discuss building reading cultures
School level reading and comprehension took national focus with the hosting of the India Reading Decathlon National Finale, organised by Food 4 Thought Foundation in collaboration with Cyient Foundation, along with Monocept Consulting. The finale was held at Cyient’s Manikonda campus in Hyderabad, bringing together students, educators, and literacy advocates from across the country.
The national finale marked the culmination of a four month competition that saw participation from 69 schools nationwide. Following multiple rounds, the top 11 teams qualified to compete at the final stage. The Reading Decathlon is an international school level quiz format designed to encourage deep reading, comprehension, critical thinking, and sustained literary engagement among children.
The programme is anchored in the belief that reading habits require structured encouragement, particularly among urban students who may have access to books but limited engagement with reading beyond academic requirements. Through a competitive yet learning driven format, the Reading Decathlon seeks to place reading back at the centre of intellectual development.
Speaking at the event, Rajendra Velagapudi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Cyient DLM, said that education and literacy form the foundation of long term societal progress. He noted that Cyient Foundation’s involvement in the Reading Decathlon aligns with its focus on sustainable education initiatives that aim to create lasting impact rather than short term interventions.
Shefali Rao, Co Founder of Food 4 Thought Foundation, said that the Reading Decathlon was conceived as a way to ignite interest in reading among urban children and youth. She added that collaborations between organisations working in education and literacy are essential to building consistent reading cultures that go beyond classrooms and examinations.
Food 4 Thought Foundation works with schools to promote reading as a habit rather than a task, using formats that reward curiosity, analysis, and discussion. The partnership with Cyient Foundation reflects a shared approach toward literacy that emphasises continuity, access, and engagement over scale alone.
By bringing together schools from different regions, the India Reading Decathlon National Finale underscored the role of reading based programmes in strengthening comprehension and critical thinking at an early age. The organisers noted that such initiatives are increasingly relevant as education systems seek to balance digital exposure with sustained reading practices.
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