Mangaluru, Nov 27: The CREDAI BuildSmart Innovation Challenge 2025, spearheaded by CREDAI Mangaluru in collaboration with the Section Infin-8 Foundation (SI-8) and Mission Utthan, is redefining how India’s construction and real estate sectors embrace innovation and sustainability.

With overwhelming interest and the final rush of submissions, only three days remain for students, innovators and startups to enter the BuildSmart Innovation Challenge before the deadline closes on November 30.

Launched at the Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), the BuildSmart Innovation Challenge brings together industry, academia and government to position Mangaluru as a national model for sustainable, innovation-driven development.

A long-term collaboration: CREDAI × SI-8 × Nexus Core

The partnership between CREDAI Mangaluru and Section Infin-8 Foundation (SI-8) was formally established through an MoU signed at Emerge 2025, India’s first startup beach festival. This long-term agreement laid the foundation for a collaborative innovation ecosystem in coastal Karnataka.

At the KCCI launch event, SI-8 signed an MoU with Nexus Core to jointly execute and scale the BuildSmart Innovation Challenge. Nexus Core brings professional programme design, innovation strategy and execution capabilities, ensuring the challenge is managed with global standards.

This initiative marks a national milestone: CREDAI Mangaluru has become the first CREDAI chapter in India to partner with an incubation enabler to launch and run a full-scale innovation challenge focused on sustainability and construction technology.

“BuildSmart 2025 turns ideas into implementation — where innovation meets infrastructure,” said Dr Shivakiran MS Makam, director – strategy and collaboration, Section Infin-8 Foundation, and execution partner for Mission Utthan.

NITK joins as innovation partner

To strengthen the technical depth of the challenge, NITK Surathkal has partnered with the Emerge team and will lead the innovation challenge.

NITK’s involvement brings research rigour, academic leadership and structured evaluation, making BuildSmart one of the most credible and high-quality innovation programmes in the sector.

About Mission Utthan

Mission Utthan is a national initiative guided by the office of the principal scientific adviser to the Government of India. It aims to empower tier 2 and tier 3 institutes in research and innovation excellence by addressing challenges such as emerging technologies, research capability gaps and the need for stronger industry–academia linkages.

Pillars of Utthan:

Capacity building
• Research capacity building
• Immersion and community-centric engagement
• Society-centric and technology courses
• Capacity building in IPR management
• Workshops on literature review
• Knowledge exchange and outreach programmes
• Cancer state model – collaborative multicentric cancer research
• Developing trained human resources

MiTTi (Manthan International Federation Inventors Association Industries Tier 2 & 3 Colleges Technologies Innovation Hub)
• Building a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem in academic institutions
• Developing a dynamic incubation ecosystem
• Promoting startup innovations within industry and academia
• Centres of excellence

Through partners like SI-8, Mission Utthan builds “innovation corridors” that convert regional talent into national impact.

About the BuildSmart Innovation Challenge

The CREDAI BuildSmart Innovation Challenge 2025 is a two-phase national programme designed to identify and nurture practical ideas that make real estate and construction more efficient, transparent and sustainable.

1. Construction waste management platform – develop a traceable digital system for waste recycling and reuse.

2. CREDAI member app – build a unified communication and grievance-tracking platform for CREDAI members.

3. RERA single-window approval system – simplify and digitise regulatory approvals and compliance processes.

4. Unified construction workforce platform – create a verified registry for skilled labour integrating Skill India, ESIC and PF databases.

5. Open innovation challenge – building a sustainable future through digital, material or policy-based solutions to advance green construction and renewable energy use.

Opportunities for participants

Top participants will receive:
• Rs 1,00,000 cash prize
• Mentorship from CREDAI industry leaders
• Pilot opportunities with CREDAI member firms
• Showcase at Emerge 2026 – India’s startup beach festival
• Incubation support through SI-8 and Mission Utthan networks

The top 10 teams will be mentored throughout December. Their prototypes will be showcased at Emerge 2026, from January 9–11 at Tannirbhavi Beach, Mangaluru.

A shared vision for sustainable growth

At the Industry Conclave on Carbon Credits and Green Finance 2025, president Vinod Pinto reaffirmed CREDAI Mangaluru’s commitment to sustainable, low-carbon urban development.

“Mangaluru has the potential to lead India’s next phase of sustainable construction. BuildSmart 2025 reflects how industry and innovators can work together to build future-ready cities,” said Pinto.

Supporting this, R Shankar, ESG and sustainability expert and former EVP and group head – OHS and ESG at Jindal Steel and Power, noted, “BuildSmart bridges the gap between sustainability ideals and real-world deployment. CREDAI’s leadership is setting an example for the country.”