BENGALURU : Wipro Limited, a leading technology services and consulting company, today held the “13th edition of Wipro earthian Awards for the year 2023”. The awards are a culmination of an annual program that aims to foster integrated sustainability education and acknowledge Indian schools and colleges that actively promote sustainable action and thinking. The award ceremony was held at Wipro campus, and was attended by hundreds of students.
Wipro earthian is one of India’s largest sustainability education programs for schools and colleges. The 2023 edition of the Wipro earthian school program received over 1,200 project submissions, of which 22 winning and 18 shortlisted entries were selected by an independent jury. The teams from the winning schools demonstrated deep understanding of biodiversity, waste and water, through a combination of activity-based learning programs and written essays.
This year, the Wipro earthian in partnership with IIT Madras, launched the Ideas to impact challenge for college students in October 2023. It received more than 1,000 entries, of which 20 teams were shortlisted for the next round. The contest offers comprehensive training, mentorship support and a prototype development fund of up to INR 50,000 for the top 20 teams. The top five teams will be selected for their most innovative ideas around the themes of Air, Water, Energy, Soil and Material. The winning teams will receive a prize of INR 100,000 and earn a direct entry to the interview round of Carbon Zero challenge 5.0- the all India eco-innovation and entrepreneurship contest initiated by IIT Madras.
Rishad Premji, Executive Chairman, Wipro Limited, Anurag Behar, Chief Executive Officer, Azim Premji Foundation and Narayan P.S., Global Head of Sustainability and Social Initiatives, Wipro Limited, commended the winning teams with certificates and cash prizes. The teams will also get an opportunity to engage with Wipro’s sustainability partners through collaborative programs that will enable a deeper understanding of issues critical to sustainability.
Narayan P.S., Global Head of Sustainability and Social Initiatives, Wipro Limited, said, “The Wipro earthian program serves as a clear reaffirmation of the need for ecological sustainability in today’s world. As we navigate rapid technological advancement in tandem with climate change and environmental stress, the 13th edition of Wipro earthian Awards acknowledges and commends the efforts of our younger generation towards building a more sustainable future.”
This year, the winning students and teachers had the opportunity to be a part of workshops organized by partner organizations – Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) and ArtSparks Foundation. Additionally, a workshop around the topic of “Nature and us” was facilitated by Spiders and the Sea, an environmental services group. The students and teachers also participated in a nature trail, led by the Early Bird team at NCF, and they will also experience the “Rivers of life & Forests of life” exhibits, curated by Azim Premji University.
Since 2011, Wipro earthian, has engaged with over 17,000 schools, 1,300 colleges, 60,000 students and 10,000 teachers. This year, it continues to have a large participation with more than 2,000 submissions across schools and college. The support from Wipro’s education partners such as Centre for Environment Education (CEE), C.P.R Environmental Education Centre (CPREEC), Wild Ecologues, IIT Madras, state governments, organizations and educators in the Sustainability Educator Program, have helped expand the reach of the program.
