DPIIT and NCB Incubate Green Cement Innovations to Drive Low-Carbon Construction in India
SDG 9: Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure | SDG 12: Responsible Consumption & Production
Institutions: Ministry of Commerce and Industry
India’s push to decarbonise the cement and construction sector gained momentum with the conclusion of CemHack for Green Infra, the country’s first national hackathon dedicated to sustainable building materials. Organised by the Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade (DPIIT) and the NCB (National Council for Cement and Building Materials) Incubation Centre, the initiative connects research, startups, and industry to accelerate low-carbon innovation across one of India’s most emission-intensive industries.
Key Highlights
Grand Finale held on 29 October 2025; national winners announced after four evaluation rounds.
125 teams participated nationwide — 47 from startups and professionals, 78 from students and academia.
Innovation tracks covered Green Cement, Green Concrete, Hydrogen and Waste-Heat Recovery, Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCUS), and Low-Carbon Logistics & Supply Chains.
Winning teams such as TraceXero Technologies Pvt Ltd and Team Civil GPT (NIT Goa) received cash awards and incubation support at NCB-IC to move solutions toward market deployment.
Supported by major industry players — UltraTech, JSW Cement, JK Cement, and Shree Cement — under the umbrella of Startup India and Make in India initiatives.
The hackathon creates a pipeline for green-cement technologies, complementing the National Cement Mission and India’s industrial-decarbonisation strategy.
The initiative demonstrates how India can pair industrial policy with climate innovation by building institutional platforms that incubate cleaner production technologies. It aligns with national frameworks such as the Circular Economy Action Plan, Low-Carbon Infrastructure Policy, and National Green Hydrogen Mission, offering a replicable model for other emission-intensive sectors.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders:
What mechanisms can help transform India’s early-stage innovation efforts in cement and construction into a self-sustaining ecosystem—with clear pathways for financing, testing, and large-scale adoption?
Follow the full news here: Green Cement Innovations