Apply Now: Sustainability Hackathon for Students (India)

Deadline: 05-Oct-26

The Sustainability Hackathon, organized by the TERI School of Advanced Studies (TERI SAS), invites students to develop innovative and practical solutions to real-world sustainability challenges. The competition is open to undergraduate and integrated programme students as well as students studying in Classes 9–12, with cash prizes awarded to the top three teams in each category.

About the Sustainability Hackathon

The Sustainability Hackathon is designed to encourage young people to apply creativity, technology, and problem-solving skills to pressing environmental and sustainability challenges. The initiative focuses on turning innovative ideas into practical solutions that can contribute to climate action, sustainable development, environmental protection, and the circular economy. Organized by TERI School of Advanced Studies, the hackathon provides students with an opportunity to explore sustainability problems and develop actionable approaches that could create positive environmental and social impacts. What Does the Sustainability Hackathon Support? The hackathon encourages participants to propose solutions to real-world sustainability challenges. Projects and ideas may address areas connected with: Sustainability and sustainable development Climate action Environmental challenges Circular economy Resource efficiency Innovative approaches to environmental protection Practical solutions to community and societal sustainability problems Participants are encouraged to move beyond identifying problems and develop creative, feasible, and impact-oriented solutions. Why the Sustainability Hackathon Matters Young people play an important role in developing solutions to emerging environmental and climate challenges. The hackathon provides a platform for students to: Strengthen creativity and problem-solving abilities. Explore climate action and circular economy concepts. Work collaboratively on impact-oriented ideas. Gain recognition for innovative sustainability solutions. The initiative also promotes youth participation in sustainable development by encouraging students to think about how innovative ideas can be transformed into practical action. Who Is Eligible? The Sustainability Hackathon is open to students in the following categories: Undergraduate students Students enrolled in integrated programmes Students studying in Classes 9–12 The competition is therefore designed to engage both school students and students pursuing higher education. Prize Money The hackathon provides cash prizes to the top three teams in each category.

First Prize: ₹15,000

Second Prize: ₹10,000

Third Prize: ₹7,500

The prizes recognize teams that demonstrate strong innovation, practical thinking, and meaningful approaches to sustainability challenges. Key Areas of Innovation Participants can use the hackathon to explore solutions connected with major sustainability priorities. Climate Action Ideas may focus on practical approaches to addressing climate change, reducing environmental impacts, improving resilience, or encouraging climate-conscious behaviour. Circular Economy Participants can explore ways to reduce waste and improve the use, reuse, recovery, and recycling of resources. Sustainable Development Projects can address environmental and social challenges through solutions that promote long-term sustainability and community benefits. Environmental Innovation Students can develop new approaches, technologies, processes, campaigns, or models that respond to real-world environmental problems. How to Participate Students interested in participating should follow the official hackathon application and submission process provided by TERI School of Advanced Studies.

A typical participation process involves:

Check eligibility – Confirm that you are enrolled in an eligible school, undergraduate, or integrated programme category. Identify a sustainability challenge – Select a real-world problem related to sustainability, climate action, or the circular economy. Develop an innovative solution – Create a practical and clearly defined approach to addressing the selected challenge. Prepare the required submission – Present the problem, proposed solution, expected impact, and other information requested by the organizers. Submit the application or idea – Complete the official registration and submit the required materials within the announced deadline. Participate in the hackathon – Eligible teams can develop and present their solutions according to the competition requirements. Compete for recognition and prizes – The strongest solutions can receive cash prizes and recognition from the organizers. Applicants should carefully review the official competition guidelines for current deadlines, team requirements, submission formats, judging criteria, and other participation conditions. What Makes a Strong Hackathon Idea? A strong sustainability hackathon proposal should clearly connect a real problem with a practical solution.

Participants should consider

Problem clarity: Clearly explain the sustainability challenge being addressed.

Innovation: Show what makes the proposed solution different or creative.

Feasibility: Demonstrate that the idea could realistically be implemented.

Environmental impact: Explain how the solution could contribute to sustainability or climate action.

Social impact: Identify who would benefit from the proposed solution.

Scalability: Consider whether the idea could be expanded or replicated elsewhere.

Long-term value: Explain how the solution could contribute to lasting sustainability outcomes.

Tips for Students Students can improve their submissions by focusing on a specific problem rather than attempting to solve an overly broad sustainability issue.

Useful approaches include:

Start with a clearly defined local or community problem. Use evidence to explain why the problem matters. Develop a solution that is simple enough to understand but innovative enough to stand out. Explain