IIT Kharagpur among Top Five finalists of the Global Shell Ideas360 challenge

Five student teams from the UK, US, Singapore, India and the Netherlands have been selected as finalists for Shell Ideas360, a global programme providing students the opportunity to develop ideas to help tackle the world’s energy, food and water challenges. As part of the programme, students get the opportunity to learn from global experts, meet industry leaders and work with Shell mentors to develop ideas that could potentially change the world. Over 750 innovative ideas were eligible for Stage 1, including cool storage containers for homes without stable access to energy and fishing nets made from waste plastic, which were chosen to go through to the finals.

The two-member team called “Takniquee” from IIT Kharagpur will compete in the final round of the challenge scheduled to be held in London on May 25^th, 2017.  They will pitch their ideas along with other finalists from USA, Netherlands, Singapore, and the UK. The winning team will be sent on an all-expense paid expedition by National Geographic.

Driven by their passion for technology, the IITians, used their diverse skill set to develop a smart solution called “Passive Solar Water Wall”, which is directed towards reducing electricity consumption and carbon footprint by installing water tanks in the walls of a building. In this technique, water is heated and passively circulated keeping the inner wall relatively cool, thus reducing the temperature and curtailing the need for air cooling systems.

“We are excited about participating in the final round. So far, with all the success and learnings that have come our way, it has been a tremendously satisfying journey. More than competing and winning, Global Shell Ideas360 challenge is about taking the opportunity to learn and deliver smart solutions to the best of our ability,” said Sahashranshu Maurya of team Takniquee, IIT KGP.

Speaking on the achievement, Nitin Prasad, Chairman, Shell Companies in India said, “Shell India congratulates the finalist team from IIT Kharagpur for making a significant leap in tackling the global energy problem. As a major player in the energy sector, we are committed to unlocking human potential and fostering innovation to provide more and cleaner energy solutions that help Make the Future. We would like to extend our best wishes to the team and hope that they emerge as winners, making India proud.”

This year, over 17000 students collaborated to share over 750 innovative ideas in the Shell Ideas360 challenge. The five finalists have been shortlisted through a rigorous selection process, wherein expert reviewers critically evaluated their submissions.

The participating team from IIT Kharagpur last year was also amongst the 5 finalists but was just a few points short of gaining the top spot.

This time the audience too have been given a chance to vote for the idea that inspires them the most. The team that receives the highest number of votes during the voting period from May 13 to May 23, 2017, will receive the Audience Choice Award at the #makethefuture Live, a festival of ideas and innovation taking place at London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park from 25-28 May 2017.