The fifth edition of HST (Himalayan Startup Trek) 2021 will be held on 11 and 12 December this year. And the applications for HST Startup Grand Challenge can be submitted till 25 November this year.

Thematic areas
HST Startup Grand Challenge will be held across three thematic areas and they are:

➢ The Foothill Innovators Challenge – Build for the Himalayas with a prize money of INR 1.25 Lakhs [Sponsored by SJVNL and Compliance Support]

➢ The Habitable World Challenge – Environment and Sustainability with a prize money of INR 2 Lakhs [Sponsored by ALSiSAR Impact, Peak Ventures, The Solar Labs]

Each thematic areas of HST Startup Grand Challenge have prize money of up to INR 2 Lakhs to be distributed to the top 3 startups in the given themes.

Apart from this, top startups will also be provided with incubation support and funding access for prototyping as well product development through various funding schemes hosted by Catalyst and provide upto INR 50 Lakh of funding.

The event is supported by HP Center for Entrepreneurship Development of HP Industries Department.

The New Age Alliance – Human-Computer Interaction theme of HST Startup Grand Challenge will focus on usage of computer’s intelligence and computation capabilities in decision making, prediction, estimation, communication, and processing.

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Under this theme, participants can pitch in their ideas related to:

● Brain-computer interaction

● Assistive technologies to aid and enhance human functioning and decision making

● Use of advanced technologies to enhance the cognitive abilities of humans

● Use of computer’s intelligence to aid human decision making, prediction, communication and processing

The Foothill Innovators Challenge – Build for the Himalayas theme of HST Startup Grand Challenge will revolve around addressing the issues relevant to the local terrain, population, environment, ecology, or focus on taking local products and offerings to the world by building supply chains, storage, or building capacity at different value chain levels.

Startups and aspiring entrepreneurs can participate under this theme with their ideas related to:

● Hill road safety, disaster prevention, and management

● Demand and supply-side challenges to Himalayan agriculture

● Vocal for local – interventions to scale local products and services

● Rural development – education, skill training, and employment

The specific problem statements of interest under this theme include clean & renewable energy, waste management, e-vehicles, green solutions, recycling, and natural resource management.
Climate change and natural resource management. Startups, innovators and aspiring entrepreneurs working in this sector or budding entrepreneurs can pitch their ideas related to:

● Renewable and clean energy solutions

● Waste management and recycling

● Any other solution in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Catalyst has hosted over 100 such programs to date. Further, the funding needs of startups in the early stages are also met through the funding schemes hosted at Catalyst.

Catalyst, to date, has disbursed or committed over INR 6 Cr for prototyping and commercialization purposes to the startups.

Through its support programs, IIT Mandi Catalyst guides early stage entrepreneurial initiatives by providing support in infrastructure, finances, mentoring, and industry connections, thereby making itself an attractive destination for startups across the country.

Aspiring entrepreneurs
Inviting the aspiring entrepreneurs to take part in the HST Startup Grand Challenge, Professor Puran Singh, Faculty-in-charge at IIT Mandi Catalyst said HST has been the gateway to Catalyst’s incubation program for startups from across the country.

‘The thematic HST Startup Grand Challenge this year is the latest feature in HST. We are building capacity and expertise in these three areas and intend to handpick committed startups for support,’ said Professor Puran Singh.

Post downloading of the webpage, applicants have to press the button ‘Click here to Apply’ which will be located on the right side of the webpage.

Once the applicants click ‘Click here to Apply’ another webpage with url ‘https://iitmandicatalyst.typeform.com/to/fjiH7ZXr?typeform-source=www.iitmandicatalyst.in’ will download where they have to press ‘Start’ button to commence registration.

Once they press ‘Start’ they will see a url and clicking it will open a file containing information about the three themes of HST Startup Grand Challenge.

After knowing the information about the themes, they can press ‘Continue’ to start applying for the HST Startup Grand Challenge.

Applicants can access the information about the three themes of HST Startup Grand Challenge on the url ‘https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BSyRnk02ng-Y-A03SaVMU6srGzbjzb51/view’

Important dates
The registration for taking part in HST Startup Grand Challenge began on October 25 and the last date to submit applications to take part in the contest is November 25.

The applications for HST Startup Grand Challenge will be screened from November 25 to 30. The pitch sessions will be conducted from December 5 to 10. The final results and main event will be held on December 11 and 12.

Designed to monitor the freshness of seafood in real-time by responding to pH changes, the film offers a practical solution for improving food safety and reducing waste.

This film detects the release of volatile amines, compounds typically associated with spoilage, and indicates food quality through visible color changes, say sources from NIT Rourkela.

These natural components make the film biodegradable, safe, and responsive, aligning with sustainability goals and offering a non-invasive way to assess seafood freshness.

Findings

The findings of this research have been published in the journal Food Packaging and Shelf Life in a paper co-authored by Prof. Preetam Sarkar (as the lead corresponding author), along with his research scholars, Mr. Rahul Thakur, Miss Harshi Singhi, Mr. Vedsagar Rajesh Suryavanshi, and Dr. Ravichandran Santhosh.

Other co-authors in this work include Dr. Khalid Gul from NIT Rourkela, Dr. Swarup Roy from Lovely Professional University, Dr. Srinivas Janaswamy from South Dakota State University, Brookings, USA and Dr. Kirtiraj K. Gaikwad from IIT Roorkee.

Fishing

India is the world’s second-largest fish-producing nation, contributing approximately 8% of global fish production, say NIT Rourkela researchers.

It also holds the distinction of being the top five producer of shrimp globally, with frozen shrimp being the top export commodity.

Given the scale and importance of seafood production, innovations that ensure freshness and reduce spoilage are of immense value, say NIT Rourkela researchers.

In this context, intelligent packaging systems, which preserve food while monitoring its quality, are rapidly gaining global interest.

Unlike conventional packaging that serves merely as a protective barrier, the intelligent packaging film developed by NIT Rourkela team offers visual cues about the product’s condition, making it a promising solution for enhancing food safety and reducing waste.

The beetroot peel extract was prepared separately, and then combined with the starch, gum tragacanth, and a small amount of glycerol to cast the films.

These were dried and tested for their pH-sensitivity and effectiveness in monitoring seafood freshness, said Prof Preetam of NIT Rourkela.

Pigments

Beetroot peels contain betalains, a group of pigments known for their bright colours and pH sensitivity, say NIT Rourkela researchers.

These pigments also offer antioxidant and antimicrobial benefits, making them suitable for food-related applications.

Incorporating these natural compounds into the starch-based film creates a biodegradable, safe, and responsive packaging material.

When the seafood begins to spoil and pH levels rise, the film changes colour, providing a clear visual indicator of freshness.

Starch

The choice of Kodo millet starch and gum tragacanth contributes to the film’s biodegradable and eco-friendly profile.

Kodo millet is an underutilised grain with excellent film-forming properties, while gum tragacanth enhances the mechanical strength and flexibility of the material.

The researchers believe that using such agricultural by-products not only supports sustainability but also adds value to food processing waste, such as beetroot peels.

At the laboratory scale, the cost of producing the film was estimated approximately Rs. 900 per kilogram.

When scaled up for industrial production, the cost is projected to range between Rs. 400 and Rs. 600 per kilogram, making it a potentially viable option for commercial use.

Also Read – NIT Rourkela develops great AI powered model