India Launches First National Hackathon for Green Infrastructure Innovations in Cement Sector

Ballabgarh: In a landmark move to drive sustainability and innovation in the cement and construction industries, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, through the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), launched the country’s first national-level hackathon titled “CemHack for Green Infra” on Monday. The initiative was inaugurated by Sanjiv, Joint Secretary, DPIIT, at the National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCB), Ballabgarh.

The hackathon, spearheaded by the NCB Incubation Centre (NCB-IC), marks a significant effort to promote entrepreneurship and commercialization of green innovations in cement, concrete, and allied building materials. The event also celebrated the first anniversary of the NCB-IC, India’s only dedicated incubation centre in this sector.

Congratulating the NCB team, Sanjiv said, “CemHack is a step towards shaping India’s green infrastructure future. I encourage participation from IITs, NITs, and regional technical institutions to drive real-world solutions and create startup success stories in the cement sector.”

Open to startups, professionals, students, and academia, the hackathon will feature two distinct tracks focused on pressing issues like Green Cement, Green Processes, Green Concrete, Carbon Capture & Storage, Logistics & Supply Chain, and achieving Net Zero targets. Participation is free of cost, and registrations will remain open from May 20 to July 20, 2025, at ncbindia.com/cemhack.php.

Cash rewards of up to ₹1 lakh and incubation or mentorship opportunities at NCB-IC await the winners, aiming to accelerate the commercialization of impactful solutions.

Dr. Kapil Kukreja, GM & In-charge, NCB-IC, highlighted the competition’s mission to solve real-world industry challenges through innovation. “We want to empower thinkers and creators to shape a greener construction landscape,” he said.

Dr. L P Singh, Director General, NCB, underscored the hackathon’s role in pushing the sustainability frontier. He also announced the establishment of a Centre of Excellence for Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) at NCB and cited the ongoing DST-funded CCU test bed project in collaboration with IIT Roorkee and JK Cement Ltd. as a milestone initiative.

The event drew enthusiastic participation from students, researchers, industry leaders, and scientists. Key dignitaries included Prof. K K Pant, Director, IIT Roorkee; Neeraj Akhoury, Chairman-NCB and MD, Shree Cement Ltd.; and senior representatives from academia and industry.

As India eyes a sustainable growth trajectory, CemHack for Green Infra is set to catalyze the next wave of green innovation in one of the country’s most critical infrastructure sectors.