Overview The Ministry of Commerce & Industry's CemHack for Green Infra successfully concluded, showcasing a collaborative effort between the government, industry, and startups to drive innovation in sustainable construction. Organized by the National Council for Cement and Building Materials – Incubation Centre (NCB-IC) , the hackathon aimed to identify and support innovative, sustainable, and technology-led solutions for the cement sector. Key Objectives To identify and support innovative solutions for the cement sector. To promote sustainable and technology-led approaches in construction. To foster collaboration between government, industry, and startups. Key Developments The Grand Finale and Prize Distribution Ceremony of the national-level hackathon CemHack for Green Infra was successfully organized by the National Council for Cement and Building Materials – Incubation Centre (NCB-IC) . The event saw enthusiastic participation from representatives of DPIIT , Startup India , the cement industry, academia, startups, and innovators from across the country. Launch and Participation Launched on May 20, 2025 , by Joint Secretary (Cement), DPIIT, Shri Sanjiv . Received an overwhelming response with 125 participating teams . Teams were divided into two tracks: Track 1 (Startups/Professionals/Individuals) and Track 2 (Students/Research Scholars/Academia) . Participants included representatives from IITs, NITs, IISc, DTU , and other leading institutes and startups. Themes and Support The hackathon was supported by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) , Startup India , UltraTech Cement Ltd. , JSW Cement Ltd. , JK Cement Ltd. , and Shree Cement Ltd. Themes included: Green Cement – Alternative raw materials, SCMs, new binders, AI/ML applications Green Process – Hydrogen, solar thermal, waste heat recovery, alternative fuels Green Concrete – Sustainable and novel concrete materials Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) Logistics and Supply Chain Management Achieving Net Zero and SDGs in Cement and Construction Winners The winners were selected after four rounds of rigorous evaluation. Track 1 Winners (Startups/Professionals/Individuals) First Place: TraceXero Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (Deependra Singh Shekhawat, Reetam Chaudhary, Kirtiraj Singh, Kushal Singh) Second Place: Aventra Energy (Sivasanthosh A) Third Place: Regal Rinse (Bhavya Jindal, Ayush Bhadauriya, Sambhav Gupta) Consolation Prize: LivNSense GreenOps Pvt. Ltd. (Avnish Kumar, Priyanka Kumar) Track 2 Winners (Students/Research Scholars/Academia) First Place: Team Civil GPT (NIT Goa – Prashant Mishra, Saatwik Shetye) Second Place: Team IIT Gandhinagar (Sreerag C S, Dr. Shreya Katre, Faizan Yousuf Bhat, Dr. S. K. Rahaman) Third Place: Team ReCKon (DTU – Tasmia Haider, Archit Verma, Sameer Madan) Consolation Prize: Team IISc Bangalore (Sahana C. M., Kushagra Singh, Dr. Souradeep Gupta) Awards and Recognition Winners received cash prizes, certificates, and incubation or mentorship opportunities under NCB’s Incubation Centre. Dr. Raju Goyal , Executive President and Chief Technical and Sustainability Officer, UltraTech Cement Ltd. , was awarded the NCB Distinguished Alumni Award 2025 . UPSC Relevance This initiative is relevant to the UPSC syllabus as it addresses key issues related to sustainable development, innovation in infrastructure, and government policies promoting green technologies. It aligns with GS Paper 3 , particularly topics related to infrastructure, environment, and science and technology. Exam Perspective Prelims: Focus on the organizing body (NCB-IC), launch date, participating teams, themes, and sponsors. Mains: Analyze the role of such hackathons in promoting innovation and sustainability in the cement industry. Discuss the significance of public-private partnerships in driving technological advancements.