Mangalagiri, August 2, 2026: Over 1,200 children aged between 5 and 14 years showcased extraordinary mental arithmetic skills at SIP Regional Prodigy 2026, one of India’s largest mental arithmetic competitions for children, held at CK Conventions, Mangalagiri, on Sunday.
The competition was inaugurated by Col. Shashikanth Thumma, Director, AIIMS Mangalagiri, in the presence of Sibi Sekhar, Director, SIP Academy India; Uma Swaminathan, Head – New Franchisee Acquisition; Praveen E.G., Regional Business Head – South & Head, International Acquisition; and Jabeer Baig, State Head (Andhra Pradesh), SIP Academy India.
Addressing the gathering, Col. Shashikanth Thumma described the participants as “live supercomputers.”
“You are human calculators, solving sums faster than calculators. This programme develops skills to solve not only mathematics problems but also life’s challenges. My own children are participating in this competition. Practice makes perfect—keep practising, embrace challenges and strive for excellence,” he said.
He added that mental arithmetic builds skills for life beyond mathematics.
Speaking on the occasion, Sibi Sekhar, Director, SIP Academy India, said mental arithmetic is more relevant in the Artificial Intelligence era than ever before.
“While AI can provide answers, children still need strong cognitive abilities, logical thinking, concentration, memory and problem-solving skills. Mental arithmetic develops these foundational capabilities, enabling children to think independently and confidently.”
Announcing the organisation’s international expansion, Sibi Sekhar said SIP Academy India has entered the United States, marking a significant milestone for Indian education entrepreneurship.
The organisation will initially serve the Indian diaspora, including a large Telugu community, before expanding to the wider American market. The move positions SIP Academy among a select group of Indian education brands exporting home-grown learning methodologies to global markets.
Across India, SIP Academy currently operates over 1,100 centres, training nearly 1.9 lakh children. Over the next three years, the organisation aims to expand to 2,000 centres and increase enrolment to 3 lakh students.
The academy is also strengthening its international footprint following its entry into the United States while exploring expansion into other overseas markets.
Uma Swaminathan, Head – New Franchisee Acquisition, said Andhra Pradesh is one of SIP Academy’s priority markets. “We currently operate 25 centres in Andhra Pradesh and plan to double this number to 50 in the coming years,” she said.
Innovation in Testing Concentration
One of the biggest attractions of the competition was the innovative ‘Concentration Round’. As loud music filled the venue, children solved mental arithmetic problems without losing focus. Despite the energetic atmosphere—with participants singing, dancing, cheering and clapping—they completed the calculations with remarkable speed and accuracy, demonstrating that true concentration is the ability to remain focused amid distractions.
About SIP Regional Prodigy
SIP Regional Prodigy is the regional championship of the annual SIP Prodigy competition and serves as a qualifying event for the national finals.
Participants were tested in mental arithmetic, abacus calculations, multiplication, division, visual arithmetic, speed and accuracy through a series of time-bound challenges.
In some categories, students solved up to 300 arithmetic problems in just 11 minutes, showcasing exceptional concentration, memory and calculation speed.
The Andhra Pradesh regional winners will qualify for the National SIP Prodigy 2026, to be held in Kochi in November, where nearly 5,000 children from across the country will compete.
Jabeer Baig, State Head (Andhra Pradesh), said around 7,000 children are currently undergoing SIP Abacus training across the state through centres in Vijayawada, Guntur, Mangalagiri, Tirupati, Chittoor, Anantapur, Hindupur, Kadiri, Tadepalli, Tadepalligudem, Rajahmundry and Kakinada.