India’s Top Climate Innovators to Compete at Solar Decathlon India 2025 Finals

The Solar Decathlon India (SDI) Finals 2025 is set to take place from May 23-25, 2025, at Infosys’ Mysuru campus. At the Finals, 41 multidisciplinary teams will present net-zero building design solutions, and product design solutions that provide sustainable cooling in residential building occupants.  Teams bring their working prototype to the Finals.  

The 41 finalist teams were selected from 2100 undergraduate and postgraduate students from 175 teams.  They came from over than 150 academic institutions and have developed net-zero-energy-water and climate-resilient solutions over a period of 9 months for real buildings across 55+ cities. 

Solar Decathlon India (SDI) is an annual net-zero building design challenge conducted by the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) and the Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE) under the aegis of the Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF). It is supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India.

This year’s challenge had over 300+ partners in the industry across India partner with student teams to work on real-world solutions that accelerate India’s transition to net-zero buildings.

“Innovation thrives at the intersection of diverse perspectives. Solar Decathlon India exemplifies how collaboration between academia, industry, and government can accelerate new energy security solutions. When bright young minds work alongside experienced professionals to solve real-world challenges, we create pathways to a secured future that might otherwise take decades to achieve.” said Dr Nisha Mendiratta, Director, IUSSTF.

SDI attempts to change the DNA of India’s building sector through capacity building, industry engagement, raising public awareness, facilitating green jobs and opportunities, and creating an environment for policy change for accelerated climate action. 

“Solar Decathlon India is shifting from being the world’s largest net-zero challenge to laying the groundwork to transform India’s formal building sector. We're training the next generation of net-zero professionals, entrepreneurs, and changemakers through an active partnership between industry and India’s leading academic institutions.” said Aromar Revi, Director, IIHS.

Beyond the student challenge, Solar Decathlon India (SDI) also conducts the Climate Smart Innovation Exhibition and Award (CSI) – a platform connecting startups working on climate tech innovation for the building sector, with investors, and potential customers.  

The SDI Finals 2025 will feature:

- Student project presentations to expert juries.

- The Climate Smart Innovation Exhibition, spotlighting industry innovations for net-zero performance.

- Pitch presentations for the Climate Smart Innovation Award 2025.

- Talks by experts and thought leaders in sustainability and innovation.

- A career fair connecting finalists with top climate-focused organisations.

- A tour of the Infosys Mysuru campus, one of the most sustainably operated campuses in the world.  

“The gap between innovation and commercial application has traditionally been the greatest barrier to market transformation. Solar Decathlon India bridges this divide by connecting young innovators with experienced industry players to help scale their solutions. This creates a virtuous cycle where academic creativity meets practical application, accelerating the adoption of climate-smart technologies and creating an ecosystem to enable decarbonisation of India’s built environment.” said Dr. Satish Kumar, Executive Director and President, AEEE. 

Infosys support SDI as a pro-bono host, including accommodation and food for all attendees for 4 days. They provide a platform for young professionals to demonstrate and grow their capabilities in designing for climate change.

“What began as a competition has evolved into a movement. Over the years, we've witnessed not just growth in numbers, but profound development in the quality and ambition of solutions. Through mentorship and real-world challenges, students transform from learners into leaders. The most rewarding aspect is seeing alumni of SDI now making significant contributions to climate solutions across India's building sector, creating a multiplier effect for positive change.” said Prasad Vaidya, Director, Solar Decathlon India (SDI).