IIT Madras’ Carbon Zero Challenge Announces 3Rd Edition: Top Teams To Be Funded With Up To Rs 10 Lakhs

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has unveiled the winning teams of the Carbon Zero Challenge (CZC) 2022, which showcased their eco-friendly and sustainable technologies. After a rigorous selection process, 25 teams from across India emerged as finalists and will each be granted start-up seed funding of up to Rs. 10 lakhs. The Challenge's grand finale Prototype Expo for its Third Edition took place from 26th to 28th July 2023 on the IIT Madras campus. This esteemed contest received support from Thales, a French multinational company, and the Aquamap Centre for Water Management at IIT Madras.

The primary objective of the Carbon Zero Challenge is to encourage the development of advanced deep-tech and circular economy solutions to tackle environmental challenges in various domains such as Energy, Materials, Agriculture, Air, and Water. By harnessing the collective brilliance and expertise of talented individuals from all over India, the challenge aims to establish eco-friendly start-ups that can effectively address critical global issues like Climate change, Pollution, and Food security.

The Carbon Zero Challenge 2022 invited applications from students, early-stage startups, faculties, research scholars, and graduates who had a validated proof of concept, spanning across all the States in India. It successfully reached out to over 1,600 students and researchers from 600 universities, as well as 270 start-ups, representing 25 states and 2 Union Territories in India. Notably, the competition has already served as a breeding ground for 17 new clean-tech companies.

Dr R. Velraj, Vice Chancellor of Anna University, commended the winners and highlighted the urgency of addressing rising carbon dioxide levels. He mentioned that over the past 23 years, carbon dioxide levels have surpassed 418 PPM and continue to increase by 3 PPM annually. He stressed that if it reaches 600 PPM, the planet would become uninhabitable for humans. Acknowledging the efforts of environmental scientists and organizations, he emphasized the need for measures to combat this issue.

The pandemic demonstrated how reduced human activity can help curb pollution growth, emphasizing the importance of sustainability, particularly for rapidly developing countries like India. He expressed India's potential to lead in environmental, social, and governance sustainability, aligned with the UN SDGs. The Carbon Zero Challenge 2022 received 480 applications from across India, with 25 teams selected after a thorough evaluation process by Technical/Industry, Sustainability, and Business experts. These teams presented innovative sustainable solutions in various domains like agriculture, alternate energy, wastewater, and waste management.

Dr R. Velraj, Vice Chancellor of Anna University, commended the winners and highlighted the urgency of addressing rising carbon dioxide levels. He mentioned that over the past 23 years, carbon dioxide levels have surpassed 418 PPM and continue to increase by 3 PPM annually. He stressed that if it reaches 600 PPM, the planet would become uninhabitable for humans. Acknowledging the efforts of environmental scientists and organizations, he emphasized the need for measures to combat this issue. The pandemic demonstrated how reduced human activity can help curb pollution growth, emphasizing the importance of sustainability, particularly for rapidly developing countries like India. He expressed India's potential to lead in environmental, social, and governance sustainability, aligned with the UN SDGs.

The Carbon Zero Challenge 2022 received 480 applications from across India, with 25 teams selected after a thorough evaluation process by Technical/Industry, Sustainability, and Business experts. These teams presented innovative sustainable solutions in various domains like agriculture, alternate energy, wastewater, and waste management.