Bright young innovators dedicated to tackling practical sustainability concerns came together at St Joseph’s University’s Xavier Hall for the Grand Finale of the national hackathon on sustainable solutions. About 60 teams from 35 colleges and universities in different Indian states enthusiastically participated in the tournament. Eleven teams were selected for the grand finals after intense preliminary rounds.

Following a prayer, Dr Sivakannan S., head of the Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC), gave a welcome speech, and Dr Regina Mathias, pro vice chancellor, gave the inaugural address. The occasion provided a vibrant forum for encouraging young people to tackle sustainability issues with creative, forward-thinking ideas that could develop into profitable, scalable businesses. Across a range of topics, such as agriculture, community livelihoods, carbon emissions, waste management, tourism, logistics, water treatment, and health, participants investigated sustainability as a driving force for innovation. Nisha Ninan led a targeted workshop following the competition with the goal of developing the upcoming generation of sustainability champions. Prof. Isabel Rimanoczy’s sustainable mindset tool was presented throughout the event, with a focus on four essential components: ecological worldview, systems thinking, emotional intelligence, and spiritual intelligence.

Mentors and industry professionals from companies like Thoughtworks, Accacia, Kazam, Bisleri, Beautiful Bharat, Waste Impact Trust, Vertex Ventures, Infoedge, Aline Partners, and ISDM provided the hackathon with a lot of assistance.

We would especially like to thank the following mentors for their support and encouragement: Shruti Tandur, Harithejas Namburi, Odette Katrak, Gayatri Handanahal, Nazarius Manoharan, Vijay Krishnan, Sajjan George, Selvam George, Rhea Colaso, and Piyush Chitkara. Faculty and students from schools in Bengaluru and other states, such as Sri Krishna Arts & Science College in Coimbatore, NIE Mysuru, and St Aloysius Jabalpur, avidly participated as well.

To determine the winners, the teams’ presentations and prototypes were assessed by the distinguished panel of judges, which included Maris Chacko, Jacob John, Akshay Soni, Dinesh Ram, and Dr Srinath. First place went to M S Ramaiah’s Green Guardians, followed by PES University’s Kalakaar and St Joseph’s University’s Caldera. We sincerely thank each and every team for their commitment to and enthusiasm for sustainable innovation.

Fr Denzil Lobo SJ honoured the valedictory ceremony with an energising speech about the significance of entrepreneurship, innovation, and hackathons in forming India’s future driven by innovation. The prize distribution ceremony marked the end of the event after the workshop and final presentations.

Kodhai B. Narayanan gave a sincere vote of thanks at the end of the programme, thanking all of the mentors, judges, participants, cooperating universities, and St Joseph’s University organising staff.