The students of Christ University’s Department of Life Sciences emerged winners at Hack4Agri 2025, a national-level innovation challenge themed ‘Zero-Waste Sustainable Post-Harvest Management and Waste Utilisation’.
The event was organised by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in collaboration with the Australian Consulate-General, Bengaluru.
Led by Manjesh M., assistant professor at the Department of Life Sciences, undergraduate students Rakshitha, S. Sushmitha, and Pragathi Valli, presented the project model on ‘On-Farm Produce Cooler’, a low-cost, electricity-free system designed to extend the freshness of harvested produce.
Built from locally available materials, the model uses a natural filler mix of paddy straw, agricultural husk, and other organic agri-waste, which not only aids cooling through moisture retention but can later be converted into nutrient-rich compost.
The evaluation panel featured sustainability expert Vishwa Surya and innovation strategist Isaac Stewart. Andrew Collister, Consul (Political and Economic) at the Australian Consulate-General, was the chief guest at the event.
