- The 5th edition of Solar Decathlon India (SDI) saw the participation of 2,100+ students from 150+ academic institutions.
- Student teams presented innovative solutions for 34 real building projects and 7 product innovations.
- Solar Decathlon India (SDI) is conducted by the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) and the Alliance for an Energy Efficiency Economy (AEEE) under the aegis of the Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF).
Mysuru, May 27, 2025: Solar Decathlon India (SDI), aimed at building the next generation of leaders to combat climate change in India, is an annual student competition for undergraduate and postgraduate students from Indian academic institutions to develop innovative, net-zero energy-water and climate resilient solutions for the building sector in India. The finals event was held at Infosys’ campus in Mysuru, one of the most sustainably operated campuses in the world. Infosys hosted the event pro bono and provided accommodation and food for all attendees for 4 days.
“It’s a great atmosphere, it’s so exciting to see a lot of youngsters coming together and presenting their ideas, working on real-life problems and design challenges. That’s something that we can also learn from, and implement some of these ideas. It’s also good to see a lot of innovators coming here. We get to see some cool innovations and new technologies from start-ups, which we can also pilot.” said Guruprakash Sastry – Associate Vice President and Head – Climate Action, Infosys.
The event started on May 23, 2025, with student presentations to the Jury. These were followed by the Climate Smart Innovation Exhibition, where innovators from the building industry displayed products and solutions addressing climate change mitigation or adaptation. The exhibition was followed by pitch presentations to the jury comprising:
Aiyappa Somayanda – Chief Business Officer, Brigade REAP, Guruprakash Sastry – AVP and Head – Climate Action, Infosys, Hari Prasad Hegde – Founding Partner, Edhina Capital, Harleen Oberoi – Sr. VP & Head – Project Management, Tata Realty & Infrastructure Ltd. & Tata Housing Development Company Ltd., Johann Fernandes – Co-Founder, climateXcapital, Priyank Garg – Managing Partner, IAN Alpha fund, and Sunita Purushottam – Head of Sustainability and CSR, Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd. & Chair, GBPN Board. Subsequently, Lambert Technovation Pvt. Ltd. was declared winner of the Climate Smart Innovation Award 2025. Their modular, chemical-free reactor transforms wastewater treatment for buildings & beyond—boosting sustainability in the built environment.
“It’s mind blowing to see that India is the hub for innovation in the built environment, with brick-and-mortar innovation apart from technology innovations. It’s fascinating because that’s what keeps the hope up that we can keep doing better and reach our climate goals.” said Sunita Purushottam, Head of Sustainability and CSR, Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd. & Chair, GBPN Board, and Jury for the Climate Smart Innovation Award 2025.
On May 24, 2025, 6 student teams were declared winners of their respective Divisions. This included 5 building Divisions that focused on critical building problems that India is currently facing and one product design Division that challenged participants to ‘make’ solutions that improve cooling performance in existing residential buildings. These 6 teams pitched their solutions to a Grand Jury made up of investors, real estate and media stalwarts, and Team Anvaya led by BMS College of Architecture, Design and Planning with B.M.S. College of Engineering as their partner institution won the Grand Prize for proposing the most promising and investment-worthy design.
The grand jury said that the team provided a versatile solution of modular systems at very affordable costs, driving net-zero targets. A true answer to the growing need of our construction workers.
Initially intimidated by the intensity of the competition, the team embraced Solar Decathlon India as a unique learning opportunity beyond the traditional college curriculum. Their project partnered with Rohan Builders (India) Pvt. Ltd., based in Pune, while the team itself operated from Bangalore. Regular site visits and close engagement with their Project Partner proved invaluable, offering critical feedback and insights. They described SDI as an exceptional platform for aspiring sustainability professionals in the built environment.
“Watching Solar Decathlon India grow into a full-blown movement with bigger, better participation each year has been nothing short of inspiring. The way this competition seeds the DNA of a sustainable built environment in the very generation that will shape our homes and cities is powerful.” Said Manisha Natarajan, independent Media and Content Strategist.
Ashish Goel – Founder, OctoLife, a climate tech builder and evangelist gave the keynote address.
“Start anyway – imperfect, urgent, now.” said Ashish Goel as he talked about the importance of climate innovators in the building industry in the face of climate and the problems affecting India.
On May 25, 2024, Solar Decathlon India (SDI) held its career fair where leading organisations working on climate change and net-zero buildings interacted with the best and brightest minds to offer them internship and early career opportunities.
Infosys generously hosted the 3-day Finals event pro-bono. Infosys also ensured that the entire event was carbon neutral. The SDI trophies awarded to the winners were themselves carbon negative, showcasing how climate change mitigation can be addressed with creativity and perseverance.
Solar Decathlon India is conducted by the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) and the Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE) under the aegis of the Indo-US Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF). It is supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India. The 2024-25 challenge saw 175 teams competing, comprising 2,100+ students from 150+ academic institutions, guided by 290+ faculty mentors. At the finals, over 50 organisations offered internships and early career opportunities to the SDI finalists.
Full list of division wise winners of the 2024-25 Challenge:
Multi-Family Housing
Winner: Team Astitva from BMS College of Architecture, Design and Planning and B.M.S. College of Engineering
Runner Up: Team Paargami from School of Planning and Architecture, Vijayawada, Indian Institute of Technology Tirupati, and Adani University
Educational Building
Winner: Team Nirmaan from Manipal School of Architecture & Planning and Manipal Institute of Technology
Runner Up: Team Samavet from SMEF’s Brick School of Architecture and BRACT’s, Vishwakarma Institute of Information Technology
Office Building
Winner: Team MAA-EARTH from MEASI Academy of Architecture, MEASI Institute of Management, and B.S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology
Runner Up: Team Samarpan from Manipal School of Architecture & Planning and Manipal Institute of Technology
Community Resilience Shelter
Winner: Team Centauri from Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
Runner Up: Team Bhumika from College of Engineering Trivandrum
Construction Worker Housing
Winner: Team Anvaya from BMS College of Architecture, Design and Planning and B.M.S. College of Engineering
Runner Up: Team SRJAN from BMS School of Architecture and BMS Institute of Technology & Management
Residential Cooling Retrofit
Winner: Team Kalpana from Manipal School of Architecture & Planning and Manipal Institute of Technology
Runner Up: Team Gaia from Atria University
About Solar Decathlon India
The Solar Decathlon India is a challenge among postgraduate and undergraduate students from Indian academic institutions to learn and design net-zero-energy-water, affordable, and resilient design solutions for real, live projects to combat Climate Change through the buildings sector.
Student teams develop affordable and industry-ready solutions for real projects with the help of online Self-Learning Modules and expert mentorship provided during this year-long challenge. It is a hands-on, practical, innovation-based challenge that moves the construction and real estate industry towards implementing net-zero solutions developed by students.
