200 + IDEAS
for a sustainable food future
STHIRA 2026
Back in it's third edition as a groundbreaking platform!
300+
PARTICIPANTS
18+
DISCIPLINES
45+
UNIVERSITIES
STHIRA, India’s pioneering Sustainable Food Innovation Challenge, is designed to discover and incubate ideas which address the most pressing challenges affecting the future of food. By engaging young people with food in its totality, we seek to imagine a future of food that is nutritious, climate-resilient, equitable and culturally rooted.
Through STHIRA, we hope to inspire future food professionals, designers, entrepreneurs and social change makers and thus, have a positive influence within the larger food system and sustainability landscape.
STHIRA 2026 is accompanied by foodwize’s new Virtual Incubator for Sustainable food. The most creative and well-thought-out innovations will be selected for our incubation program, which is a structured capacity building journey, enabling them to evolve into impactful, real-world solutions.
STHIRA 2026 Challenge Themes
Improve access to
nutrition
Innovate for better nutrition, focusing on health outcomes through food consumption which is accessible, affordable and culturally relevant
Strengthen local supply chains and food economies
Strengthen local supply chains to boost farmer incomes, reduce food waste and make food more accessible, affordable and sustainable
Revive indigenous, traditional ingredients and practices
Use creative practice, using design, storytelling, documentation and experimentation to reintroduce these ingredients into everyday diets in meaningful ways
Shape urban
food futures
Envision urban and peri-urban spaces as sites of food production and innovation, shaped as urban commons
STHIRA 2026 Timelines
31 JULY, 2026 | Idea Submission
Form a team of 2-3 students. Submit your innovative idea to solve any one of the 4 challenges. All university students in India are welcome to participate, there are no other eligibility criteria.
All participating students will receive a certificate of participation.
SEPTEMBER, 2026 | Semifinal Presentations
Selected teams will present their ideas in a virtual presentation to a panel of experts, from fields of agriculture, entrepreneurship, sustainability, nutrition, urban planning and creatives arts.
All semi-finalist participants will receive certificates of appreciation!
NOVEMBER, 2026 | Finale and Prototype Exhibition
Finalist teams will be invited to Bangalore to present their prototypes and innovative solutions to a panel of experts.
3 teams will receive cash prizes and trophies. All finalists will receive certificates of appreciation! Teams which wish to convert ideas into ventures will be eligible to apply for incubation.
