The latest edition of the Carbon Zero Challenge (CZC) was introduced by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, with an emphasis on resource depletion and pollution brought on by climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. An all-Indian eco-innovation and entrepreneurship competition is held as part of the IIT Madras Carbon Zero Challenge programme with the aim of assisting better new eco-innovations in India to reach the market through money, solutions, and mentorship. The deadline to submit an application for the competition is September 24. The IIT Madras CZC 2022 web portal, czeroc.in, publishes the specifics of the competition and the application process.

V Kamakoti, director of IIT Madras, launched the third edition of the CZC during an event held at the institute. IIT Madras will select teams and fund and provide mentorship to help the teams set-up start-ups. The winners of the IITMadras CZC 2022 will also get Rs 10 lakh as start-up seed grant and continued support from the institute, which includes access to IIT Madras incubation resources and angel and VC funding.

IIT Madras expects applications from research labs and start-ups. The competition is expected to shortlist around 100 teams by October. Out of this, about 25 teams will be given prototype funding up to Rs 5 lakh. IITM will also train these teams in market orientation and entrepreneurship. These teams will also be connected to industry experts and academia to better their skills, said a statement from IIT Madras.

As per reports by Asian Development Bank (ADB), about 80 percent of air pollution in Asia’s cities will be created by the transport sector. India's agriculture ministry says that environmental degradation was costing India around US$ 80 billion annually.

“Based on experiences gained from previous editions of CZCs and other research initiatives, IIT Madras is going to establish a ‘School of Sustainability’ that will work towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). CZC 2022 is going to give us a feel of challenges and technology needs in the field so that our Research, Course Curriculum and other activities are targeted towards solving issues in meeting SDGs and the overall direction of this upcoming School of Sustainability,” said Kamakoti.