Daksh Gaikwad: Building CYTHEIA Through Curiosity and Hands On Learning

At 17, Daksh Sagar Gaikwad from Pune is the Co Founder and Founding Engineer of CYTHEIA, an engineering platform focused on electronic design and AI assisted workflows. His journey into technology began with curiosity, practical activities and a desire to understand how things work. While conventional classroom routines did not always interest him, sports, Scouts and hands on learning helped shape his independent mindset.

The Atal Tinkering Lab became a turning point. There, Daksh found room to experiment, build prototypes and learn through trial and error. He met Swayamjeet Shinde, who later became CYTHEIA’s Co Founder and Lead Developer. Despite limited equipment, Daksh continued learning through online resources, documentation and repeated testing.

CYTHEIA aims to make electronic design automation more accessible. Its browser based environment uses vanilla JavaScript and Canvas based rendering, helping users work on electronic designs without unnecessary complexity. AI assisted features may simplify repetitive tasks, while keeping users responsible for engineering decisions. The product remains under development, with reliability and careful testing guiding its growth.

During Class 10, Daksh and his teammates faced uncertainty about attending IIT Bombay’s Techfest. Their Atal Tinkering Lab mentor, Murad Tamboli, encouraged their participation. The team won first prize at IIT Bombay. Five or six days earlier, they had also entered a separate competition associated with IMDR College. Its result arrived during their return journey to Pune, confirming another first prize.

These experiences taught Daksh to handle rejection, remain patient and focus on work rather than approval. His parents, Sagar and Sonali Gaikwad, have also encouraged him, even through concerns about balancing academics and technology. He scored 56% in Class 10, but continues to learn and build through practical experience.

His achievements include embedded prototypes, exploring sensor based pothole mapping, conducting coding workshops and travelling alone to Malaysia for the Harvard Youth Summit.

Daksh hopes CYTHEIA will help learners and engineers turn ideas into electronic designs. His advice to young builders is simple: start with available resources, learn the fundamentals and keep improving. As he says, “Why be normal when you can be the best?”