Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), in association with Thales, has announced the top six teams developing eco-friendly technology from the fourth cohort of the Carbon Zero Challenge (CZC 4.0), a nationwide contest to boost innovation in this sector. As part of Thales’s CSR and solidarity efforts in India, Thales supported this transformative eco-innovation and entrepreneurship challenge.
The top six teams will receive a start-up seed funding of up to ₹10 lakh. One other team has also been recognised with a ‘special mention’ for notable achievements. The CZC challenge aims to accelerate ground breaking solutions to address climate change and foster sustainability. The third edition was supported by Thales and Aquamap (Centre for Water Management and Policy at IIT Madras) and reached out to over 1,600 students and researchers from 600 universities and 270 start-ups across India.
The final teams were shortlisted from the initial list of 25 teams announced in April 2024. These teams embarked on a rigorous six-month journey to develop sustainable prototypes across various sectors, including energy, materials, agriculture, air, and water, says a release.
The top six teams and the team with special mention recognised for their contributions to sustainable technology are Gudlyf Mobility Pvt Ltd – H2ARWASTE; EESAN – CBG; Electropulse Innovations; Thaal Chemy Innovations Pvt Ltd; ReWinT and Chrissron Biomass Solutions – Plant-Based Resin: Manufacturing sustainable resin from plant waste, the release said.