IIT-M announces 25 teams for Carbon Zero Challenge 4.0

CHENNAI: The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) on Thursday announced the top 25 teams that form the fourth Cohort of the annual Carbon Zero Challenge (CZC), a pioneer Pan-Indian competition to encourage start-ups in the sustainability sector.

“The teams were announced during the ‘Embarkment’ event held on the campus. The CZC launched the fourth cohort in January 2024 and has provided funding of Rs 5 crore to 100 teams. It has served as a seedbed for 13 start-ups and has transformed 42 students/ researchers and eight faculties into entrepreneurs,” a release from IIT-M read.

The selected top 25 teams comprise students, early-stage start-ups, faculties, and researchers who showcased circular economy solutions for sustainability in water management, waste management, renewable energy, packaging, eco-friendly cold storage, and transportation. These teams will be given six months and up to Rs 5 lakh to develop their prototype.

Addressing the event, AR Rahulnath, the Director of the Department of Environment and Climate Change, Tamil Nadu, said, “The world needs to move towards a circular economy and the Carbon Zero Challenge serves as a great platform towards this purpose. The prototypes developed here will have the potential to revolutionise various sectors from energy to water and waste management.”

The world needs to move towards a circular economy and the Carbon Zero Challenge serves as a great platform towards this purpose — DECC director

“Our department has taken various initiatives such as alternatives to plastic shopping bags. We are facing a climate crisis and attaining net-zero emissions is no longer an option but a necessity. I appreciate the Carbon Zero Challenge and IIT Madras for working in this direction. The Tamil Nadu government looks forward to working with all of you in developing sustainable solutions,” he noted.