HYDERABAD — CVR College of Engineering clinched victory Saturday night at Shilpakala Vedika in Madhapur. Their project, “Water Treatment Waste into Sustainable Building Solutions,” earned them Rs 2.5 lakh in the grand finale of Radha TMT’s Creators of Tomorrow – Buildathon 2026.

Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies in Basara finished first runner-up with Rs 1 lakh. JNTU Hyderabad grabbed second runner-up and Rs 50,000. Four teams received consolation prizes of Rs 25,000 each: Sreenidhi Institute of Science and Technology, University College of Engineering at Osmania University, Gokaraju Rangaraju Institute of Engineering and Technology, and VNR Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology.

More than 200 civil engineering students from over 100 colleges across Telangana competed in this multi-stage event. Seven teams reached the finals, presenting ideas to fix real-world problems like crumbling roads and high carbon emissions in construction.

One standout pitch targeted India’s pothole crisis. Students noted 2,161 annual deaths from pothole accidents. They said the government shells out Rs 1,000 crore to Rs 3,000 crore yearly on road fixes. Their fix: micro-encapsulation tech using waste and used cooking oil to seal tiny road cracks, stop water damage, and preserve structure.

Osmania University students revealed “Alga Nova,” an algae additive slashing cement use by 2.5 percent. A jury member quipped that Romans invented concrete, but this could rewrite history if perfected.

An all-women team from GRIET pitched “Sugarcrete,” lightweight bricks from sugarcane bagasse. VNR VJIET proposed algae-based paints, 40 percent cheaper and fully biodegradable versus standard options.

SNIST went cement-free with Geopolymer Concrete, cutting emissions 70-80 percent. RGUKT’s Green Concrete used bamboo fibers for fewer cracks and better strength. One judge pointed out bamboo’s status as India’s national building material and its sustainable promise.

Smt. Harichandana Dasari, Hyderabad District Collector, spoke to over 1,000 students as chief guest. She praised the teams’ practical solutions to everyday infrastructure headaches. “These ideas are industry-first,” she said. With more work, they could tackle the nation’s chronic building woes. She stressed industry-academia ties and quoted, “Big buildings are not great buildings; buildings that are liveable are great.”

Sunil Saraf, Radha TMT Chairman, launched the event to spotlight young talent. Civil engineering underpins roads, bridges, dams, and water systems vital for trade, health, and growth, he said.

Akshat Saraf, the company’s director, centered the theme on “Green & Sustainable Construction for a Greener Future.” It links classroom theory to industry needs with scalable fixes.

Prizes topped Rs 5 lakh total. Winners also got internships, certifications, factory tours, ISO training, and chats with construction pros. Radha TMT, a top TMT bar maker, vows to groom civil engineers for sustainable builds and India’s infrastructure boom.

The jury included Sridhar Gopisetti of Team One India Pvt. Ltd.; Zaki Ahmed of Zaki & Associates; Surya Prakash of SatyaVani Projects & Consultants Pvt. Ltd.; Dr. Mahendra Kumar Madhavan from IIT Hyderabad; C. Shekar Reddy of IGBC and CSR Estates Ltd.; and Rajkumar Kancherla of Kancherla Projects Pvt. Ltd.