National Hackathon “CemHack for Green Infra” Launched to Drive Sustainable Innovation in Cement Sector

A pioneering initiative, “CemHack for Green Infra”, India’s first national-level hackathon focused on green innovation in the cement and infrastructure sectors, was officially launched on May 20, 2025, by Shri Sanjiv, Joint Secretary at the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The launch took place at the National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCB) campus in Ballabgarh, Haryana.

Fostering Innovation in Green Infrastructure

In his inaugural address, Shri Sanjiv extended his congratulations to the NCB Incubation Centre (NCB-IC) on completing a successful year of operation. He commended the centre for taking proactive steps to promote grassroots innovation and entrepreneurship in the cement and construction ecosystems. Emphasizing the importance of participation from India’s premier educational and research institutions, he specifically urged IITs, NITs, and regional technical universities to actively engage in the hackathon. According to him, the initiative is expected to catalyze the birth of promising startups and sustainable solutions in construction technologies.

About CemHack: Structure and Goals

The hackathon, organized by NCB-IC, aims to build a robust platform that nurtures novel ideas addressing key challenges in the cement and infrastructure sectors. Dr. Kapil Kukreja, GM and In-Charge of NCB-IC, provided comprehensive insights into the competition structure.

CemHack is designed around a two-track competition:

1. Track 1: For startups, industry professionals, and individual innovators.

2. Track 2: For students and academia.

This format encourages inclusive participation from both seasoned professionals and aspiring young innovators. The overarching goal is to commercialize innovative technologies and solutions that can contribute to reducing the environmental footprint of the construction industry.

Themes and Incentives

Participants are encouraged to develop solutions in areas directly aligned with India’s Net Zero and climate resilience goals. The key themes for the hackathon include:

• Green Cement Development

• Eco-friendly Manufacturing Processes

• Sustainable Concrete Solutions

• Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS)

• Efficient Logistics & Supply Chain Innovations

• Decarbonization and Net Zero Achievements

The hackathon offers cash prizes up to ₹1 lakh, as well as access to incubation, mentoring, and networking opportunities through NCB-IC. Participation is free of cost, and registrations are open from May 20 to July 20, 2025, via the official NCB website: https://www.ncbindia.com/cemhack.php.

Strengthening R&D and Sustainability Efforts

Dr. L P Singh, Director General of NCB, emphasized the strategic importance of the hackathon in pushing the boundaries of sustainable construction and green technologies. He highlighted recent progress made by the council, particularly the successful execution of a Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) test bed project in collaboration with IIT Roorkee and JK Cement Ltd., funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST).

Additionally, Dr. Singh announced the forthcoming establishment of a Centre of Excellence for Carbon Capture and Utilization at NCB, aimed at reinforcing India’s R&D capabilities in mitigating carbon emissions from the cement industry.

An Event of National Significance

The launch ceremony drew wide participation from across the country, including academic leaders, research scholars, startup founders, industry veterans, and scientists from NCB. Distinguished guests included Prof. K K Pant, Director of IIT Roorkee; Shri Neeraj Akhoury, Chairman of NCB and MD of Shree Cement Ltd.; and senior DPIIT officials.

The event reaffirmed India’s commitment to leading in sustainable infrastructure and underlined the critical role that innovation, cross-sector collaboration, and policy support play in shaping a greener future for the nation’s built environment.