20-Year-Old Engineering Dropout Launches Dencity, A Virtual Science Lab Revolutionising Education

Naaji Balani, a 20-year-old engineering dropout from Maharashtra, has launched Dencity, a virtual science lab platform designed to transform the way students and educators engage with science education, especially phuysics. According to Balani, the app, unveiled on Tuesday, offers a practical, interactive, and accessible learning experience for students worldwide, eliminating the need for traditional physical laboratories.  

Balani, who was among the top scorers in Maharashtra’s Class 12 physics exams, left engineering to pursue his vision of bridging the gap between theoretical learning and practical application after two years. He started working on Dencity in 2022 with the goal of making science education more accessible, affordable, and engaging for all. 

Speaking at the launch, he said, “Dencity allows students to take control of their education through interactive experiments that are both immersive and fun. It eliminates the financial and logistical barriers posed by conventional labs, ensuring students from all backgrounds can benefit.” He stressed that the platform is interactive and not just limited to learning through videos, like other educational apps like Byju’s, which enables practical learning. “The interactive mode of learning not only makes the process of experimentation intriguing, but it also promotes critical thinking,” Balani said.

Demonstrating an experiment on a car taking a turn, he explained that the app will let its users change different parameters, like radius of the curve, the nature of the road (normal, wet, and oily), which will then calculate the minimum and maximum speeds at which the car can take the curve. The app will also allow the teachers and students to change the planet from earth to Mars and Jupiter. “Such questions are asked in competitive exams like the JEE where the students are expected to imagine different planets and determine the speed and velocity required to cross the curve. This app will calculate that immediately and will show the formula used for it while also explaining the theory part of it,” Balani said.

The app, designed for learners aged nine and above, provides users with tools to conduct virtual experiments anytime, anywhere. Awarded the “Teachers’ Approved Badge” on the Google Play Store, Dencity features an intuitive interface that enables students to manipulate variables, collaborate with peers in real-time, and follow step-by-step guidance to understand complex scientific principles. The platform also empowers teachers to demonstrate experiments and create assignments, making it a comprehensive resource for classrooms.  

At the launch event, Rekha Thakur, Secretary of Sindhu Education Society, commended Dencity as a tool that connects theory with practice. She said, “This platform makes science engaging and safe for students while providing teachers with an innovative way to enhance learning. It truly has the potential to transform science education.”  

By eliminating the need for costly equipment, lab space, and maintenance, Dencity offers a cost-effective and sustainable solution to schools and institutions, said Balani, adding that it provides a risk-free environment for experimentation, making it suitable for regions with limited resources or safety concerns. 

Balani’s vision extends beyond making science education more accessible. Through Dencity, he aims to inspire a new generation of learners to explore, experiment, and innovate. Though he has started the virtual lab for basic science and physics, he is hopeful of adding more subjects like chemistry in the near future.