National-Level Food Hackathon at CSIR-CFTRI: Students, entrepreneurs dig deep
2 min read
Mysuru: The BioNEST Incubation Center at CSIR-CFTRI, in collaboration with Siddaganga Incubation Foundation, successfully organised a National-Level Food Hackathon on February 27-28 at CSIR-CFTRI, Mysuru for college students.
Bringing together students, aspiring entrepreneurs, researchers and food and agriculture enthusiasts, the event served as a dynamic platform for developing groundbreaking solutions in key theme areas: Advancing Food Science and Nutrition, Food Technology, Agriculture Technology, Post Harvest Technology and Smart Proteins.
Overwhelming Participation and Rigorous Selection Process
The program received an overwhelming response, with over 300 applications from across the country. A rigorous multi-stage screening process shortlisted the top 50 teams of students and innovators.
The selection process included an initial screening, expert evaluations and a pre-
jury selection round before the final jury presentation.
Intensive Workshop and Mentorship Sessions
The selected participants attended an intensive workshop on February 27, 2025, gaining essential knowledge in technology, business fundamentals, available grants, marketing and product-market fit.
The workshop was followed by one-on-one mentoring sessions with industry veterans, helping teams refine their ideas and strategies.
Pre-Finale and National Science Day Demonstrations
On February 28, the 50 shortlisted teams competed in the Pre-Finale round, where all their products were demonstrated to researchers, technologists, and entrepreneurs as part of National Science Day celebrations.
A special highlight of the event was that students had the unique opportunity to interact with Dr Sridevi Annapurna Singh, Director, CSIR-CFTRI and Prof T Ramasami, Former Secretary, Department of Science and Technology who shared their insights on the prototypes displayed.
Out of these, the top five teams were selected for the Grand Finale, where they presented their final pitch decks to a distinguished panel of experts.
Winners of the Food Hackathon 2025
The top five teams selected for the Grand Finale were: FPT / FreshVantage – First Prize Winner
Protein Chunks – Second Prize Winner
AgriSure – Top 5 Finalists Pioneers – Top 5 Finalists Chemtrix – Top 5 Finalists
The Director of CSIR-CFTRI, along with the esteemed jury members, distributed awards and certificates to Fresh Vantage, who were the winners, while Protein Chunks secured the second place.
The remaining three teams were honoured with runner-up prizes in recognition of their
innovative contributions.
The event successfully encouraged participants to reimagine the future of food and agriculture, fostering collaborations that will drive sustainable and impactful innovations in the industry.
BioNEST in CSIR-CFTRI is now inviting food startups to apply for their incubation program and the deadline is March 15.
Interested can contact managerbionest@cftri.res.in or call
08212412608.
– Team Mysoorunews
Mysooru News
