UltraTech Cement Limited,
India's largest producer of grey cement and ready-mix concrete (RMC), has
announced the prestigious 18-member judging panel for its 5th edition of
IndiaNext. The jurors are divided into four groups mainly comprising of
Chairman's' Jury, Grand Jury, Master Jury, and Student Jury, with each group
focusing on a different subject.
More than 5000+ entries across India will be evaluated based on eight parameters that includes scalability, material selection and estimated impact amongst others. The main aim will be to adopt a balanced approach between interpretation of the design concept and the ability to inspire a global audience. Prof. Dr. P.S.N. Rao, Director, School of Planning and Architecture, R. Sundaram, Chairman and Managing Director, Sundaram Architects, Ajit Bhate, Managing Director, Precast India Infrastructures, R. Ramchandra V, Technical Head, UltraTech Cement Ltd, and others are among the esteemed list of jury members.
The Chairman's Jury consists of architecture, engineering, construction sectors and academia. It comprises distinguished professionals who have given a lifetime of service to the sector. It selects the best of the best submissions to be rewarded and applauded for their effort in addressing the competition challenge. The Grand Jury, on the other hand, will thoroughly examine the leading submissions and shortlist the deserving submissions for the Final Jury. The Master Jury will evaluate all legitimate entries and picks the leading submissions for deeper inspection, whilst the Student Jury guides and approaches the students for this competition.
A total of INR 18 lakh in cash awards will be awarded to winners in two innovation categories. The reward is split into two categories: Professional and Students. The professional category contains a winner for the urban and rural segments, each with a cash award of INR 5 lakhs, and a first runner-up with a cash prize of INR 3 lakhs. The winner in the student category, on the other hand, will receive INR 1 lakh, with the first and second runners-up receiving INR 50,000 each.
The IndiaNext initiative is designed to be a platform for India's noted professionals and bright students from the engineering and architecture sector to leverage their collective efforts towards our nation's development. And bring forth solutions to address some of the greatest infrastructure challenges in the country. Having completed four editions with forty winning ideas selected from amongst 10,000+ participants, the 5th Edition of the competition introduces the theme 'Build with Speed' for sustainable design solutions that can be constructed with speed, create impact and help the nation achieve its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The emphasis in this 5th edition is on the need for speed, leveraging design and technology to reclaim lost ground and assist the nation in meeting its objectives. The pandemic's repercussions, worker migration, and supply chain disruption have all emphasised the necessity for speed as the next step ahead.
