Shell India Markets Pvt. Ltd. has recently announced the shortlisting of IIT Kharagpur among the top five finalists of the Shell Ideas360. Shell Ideas360 is a global competition which connects like-minded students with Shell experts and mentors to develop ideas to tackle the pressures on the world’s food, water and energy resources. 
IIT Kharagpur will be competing in the final stage of this competition scheduled to be held in London on June 27, 2016. 

The selection process, inviting applications from across the globe, commenced in September 2015, spanning over 9 months. It generated 982 ideas in the first stage of which 74 ideas were shortlisted in the second stage. 

The selection was an outcome of a rigorous assessment in which 7 Master Reviewers reviewed each idea over 4 times. The 7 Master Reviewers are experts in Food, Energy & Water including 2 experts who are former Shell employees. 

The three member team from IIT Kharagpur – Gaurav, Apurva and Ankit – driven by their passion for technology with a diverse skill set made it to the finals by developing a smart solution called GrowSmart. The idea is directed towards enabling farmers to increase land productivity at reduced cost by leveraging low cost soil diagnostics technology. The technology will provide farmers with detailed analysis of soil and offer recommendations.
“In addition to our deep interest in technology, the strength of our team was mutual understanding and synergy between us that has helped us reach the finals of the Shell Ideas360 global challenge. We are delighted to have reached this far and are further motivated to give our best and emerge as the ultimate winners of the competition. We would like to thank our mentors and all those who have supported us and made this achievement possible,” says Gaurav of GrowSmart team, IIT Kharagpur. 

Speaking on the achievement, Vikash Mishra, country head, External Relations, Shell India said, “We at Shell India, would like to congratulate the students from IIT Kharagpur for being one of the finalists and making India proud. As a major player in the energy sector, we strive to develop platforms that foster innovation and creativity to drive sustainability solutions across the globe. We would like to extend our best wishes to the team, with the hope that they emerge as the winners of Shell Ideas360 and continue to make their university and the nation proud.” 

The other finalists are from USA, Singapore and the UK. The winning team will be sent on an all-expense paid expedition by National Geographic.