Team SHUNYA, IIT Bombay

What Team SHUNYA, IIT Bombay does

Team SHUNYA is a multidisciplinary student team at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay that designs and builds solar-powered, energy-efficient buildings and clean-technology sub-systems. The team is organised into four subsystems — Business, Civil, Energy & Automation, and Mechanical — drawing 50+ students per major project cycle from civil, electrical, energy, and mechanical engineering disciplines, with 5 named faculty advisors from Energy Science, Electrical Engineering, and Civil Engineering departments. Its core outputs are full-scale demonstration projects for international Solar Decathlon competitions (H-Naught 2014, Solarise 2018, Daksh 2021, Vivaan 2023, Seva 2024-2025) and complementary products including the CODE-Vayu Dehumidifier, Liquid Desiccant Dehumidification System, Aqua Breeze Cooling System, Carbon Calculator Tool, and ROOH Housing Retrofit Concept.

The technology portfolio centres on sustainable prefabricated building systems integrating solar PV, smart automation and app-based control, HVAC with liquid desiccant dehumidification, water management (rainwater harvesting, greywater recycling), and passive design strategies targeting net-zero or net-positive energy, carbon, and water performance. Notable technical components include a patented waste heat recovery clothes dryer, a 220°C high-temperature solar oven, Phase Change Material thermal storage, and a 14-day rapid-deploy modular prefabricated construction method. The team has filed 2 patents, published peer-reviewed research, and achieved the highest engineering innovation score at Solar Decathlon Europe 2014. Distribution of innovation is primarily through competition build sites in France, China, the US, and India, and through the SUSTAIN event series (6 editions since 2019).

The entity operates as a non-commercial student initiative with no product revenue. All activities are funded through corporate sponsorships across tiers (Title, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Associative), in-kind contributions (materials, software, equipment), and government/institutional grants (MNRE, UNDP India, IIT Bombay). The sponsor base spans 40+ companies including Reliance Industries, Adani Green Energy, ONGC, Saint-Gobain, Larsen & Toubro, Autodesk, Johnson Controls, KP Group, and Pepperfry. Customer-facing deployments are demonstration projects rather than commercial sales: government housing (Daksh for CIDCO's Artist Village site in Belapur), public healthcare (Seva for a Community Healthcare Centre in Palghar serving 500+ patients daily), and urban mid-income residential models (Vivaan).

Name

Team SHUNYA, IIT Bombay

Legal name

Team SHUNYA, IIT Bombay

Website

https://teamshunya.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Team SHUNYA is a multidisciplinary student team at IIT Bombay that designs and builds solar-powered, energy-efficient houses and clean-technology sub-systems for international Solar Decathlon competitions and practical deployments. It is funded entirely by 40+ corporate sponsors and government grants, with no commercial product revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Building Design and Engineering

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114), Automatic Environmental Control Manufacturing for Residential, Commercial, and Appliance Use (334512)

SIC

Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991), Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585)

akta.pro primary industry

Solar EPC & Construction (Utility-Scale, Rooftop, Balance of System) (EUAMABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Distributed Generation (DG) Solar & Small Wind (EUAMAJAD), Repowering, Retrofit & Life-Extension (Inverter Replacements, Tracker Upgrades, Controls) (EUACAGAJ), Renewable Energy & Clean Tech Access (Off-grid, Energy Poverty Solutions) (BPAGALAE)

Keywords

• Sustainable building design
• Solar housing engineering
• Net zero construction
• Prefabricated green buildings
• Energy efficient homes

Headquarters

HQ city

Mumbai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Sponsorship & Grant Funding: Primary funding mechanism through corporate sponsorships and industry partnerships. Sponsors provide financial support, materials, software, and in-kind contributions across multiple tiers (Title, Platinum, Gold, Silver). Additional support comes from government bodies and institutional grants. No commercial product revenue.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Team SHUNYA is a multidisciplinary student team at IIT Bombay that designs and builds solar-powered, energy-efficient prefabricated houses and sustainable building solutions for international Solar Decathlon competitions and practical deployments. Their work integrates renewable energy systems (solar PV, solar thermal, EV charging), smart automation, HVAC, water management, and passive design strategies to deliver energy-positive, water-wise, and human-centered buildings. They also develop complementary clean-technology sub-products such as desiccant-based dehumidifiers and retrofit frameworks for existing healthcare and residential infrastructure.

Product overview

Team SHUNYA, IIT Bombay is a multidisciplinary student team that designs and builds solar-powered, energy-efficient houses and sustainable building solutions for international competitions and practical deployments. Their core products include: H-Naught (Solar Decathlon Europe 2014), Solarise (Solar Decathlon China 2018), Daksh (US Solar Decathlon Design Challenge 2021), Vivaan (US Solar Decathlon Build Challenge 2023), and Seva (US Solar Decathlon Design Challenge 2025). These span prefabricated modular houses, net-positive energy smart homes, attached housing clusters, and healthcare retrofit solutions. Complementary products include the CODE-Vayu Dehumidifier, Liquid Desiccant Dehumidification System, Aqua Breeze Cooling System, Carbon Calculator Tool, and ROOH Housing Retrofit Concept. The team operates through four subsystems: Business, Civil, Energy & Automation, and Mechanical, and organizes the annual SUSTAIN Series sustainability event. The portfolio addresses affordable, prefabricated sustainable buildings that are energy-positive, water-wise, and human-centered, with impact beyond competition projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Project H-Naught An 800 sq.ft. prefabricated, single-storey modular house developed for Solar Decathlon Europe 2014. Features patented solar oven, waste heat recovery clothes dryer, and Phase Change Material thermal storage. Achieved net-zero energy systems with DC electrical distribution and passive design.
• Project Solarise An 1800 sq.ft. G+1 net-positive energy smart house for Solar Decathlon China 2018. Modular, prefabricated design enabling 14-day rapid deployment with integrated solar PV, smart energy management, EV charging station, and thermal energy recovery systems.
• Project Daksh Sustainable attached housing solution for Artist Village site in Belapur, Navi Mumbai. Features cluster-based planning with mixed housing units, shared community spaces, recycled materials, GFRG panels, rainwater harvesting, greywater recycling, and smart automation achieving net-positive energy performance.
• Project Vivaan Net-positive energy residential ecosystem for mid-income urban families. Achieves net-zero carbon, net-zero water, and net-positive energy through liquid desiccant HVAC, smart app-based automation, thermal energy storage, and passive design strategies. Designed for high-density Indian urban housing.
• Project Seva Deep retrofit solution for an existing Community Healthcare Centre in Palghar, Maharashtra. Uses an assess-reduce-optimise methodology to achieve 35% energy reduction, 58% water consumption reduction, and net-zero carbon potential at 60% lower cost than new construction, with 35-year lifecycle extension.
• CODE-Vayu Dehumidifier Humidity control system designed for humid coastal climates. Uses solid desiccant materials to remove moisture, eliminating conventional refrigerants and significantly reducing energy consumption. Developed for the Solar Decathlon INDIA Product Division.
• Liquid Desiccant Dehumidification System Liquid desiccant-based humidity control system for buildings in humid environments. Achieves approximately 23% higher energy efficiency compared to traditional dehumidifiers and reduces lifecycle cost by around 20% while eliminating refrigerant use.
• Aqua Breeze Cooling System Sustainable cooling concept for energy-efficient buildings developed for the DTU Green Challenge. Explores innovative cooling technologies that reduce energy consumption while maintaining comfortable indoor thermal conditions.
• Carbon Calculator Tool Digital Excel-based tool to estimate carbon footprint of events at IIT Bombay. Evaluates emissions from transportation, food consumption, HVAC usage, electricity consumption, and construction materials.
• Project Samsara Retrofit strategies for existing slum rehabilitation housing. Addresses poor ventilation, limited daylight, and inefficient thermal performance using locally available materials and climate-responsive architectural techniques to improve safety and comfort.

Quantifiable outcome

• 35% energy consumption reduction (Project SEVA, US Solar Decathlon Design Challenge 2025)
• +10 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature11 records

Partnerships

27 partnerships are on record, tiered sponsor, gold sponsor, platinum sponsor, associative sponsor, institutional partner, international partner and silver sponsor.

• Saint-GobainsponsorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaterial sponsor providing sustainable construction materials including Gyproc plasterboard and Saint-Gobain building solutions for the team's prefabricated modular construction projects.
• Larsen & ToubrosponsorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering and construction conglomerate sponsor providing expertise and materials for Project Solarise and other competition builds.
• AutodesksponsorTechnology or IntegrationSoftware sponsor providing Autodesk design, engineering, and simulation software tools used for building information modelling, 3D visualisation, and sustainable design optimisation across all projects.
• Johnson ControlssponsorTechnology or IntegrationBuilding technology sponsor providing HVAC systems, smart building controls, and automation solutions for the team's energy-efficient building projects.
• Design BuildersponsorTechnology or IntegrationSoftware sponsor providing Design Builder building energy simulation software used for performance modelling, energy optimisation, and sustainable design analysis across projects.
• CovestrosponsorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaterials science sponsor providing advanced polymer and polyurethane materials for sustainable construction applications.
• Waaree Energy SystemssponsorTechnology or IntegrationSolar PV technology sponsor providing photovoltaic panels for Project Solarise at Solar Decathlon China 2018.
• Lloyd InsulationssponsorTechnology or IntegrationInsulation technology sponsor providing thermal insulation materials and solutions for the team's energy-efficient building envelopes.
• Signifygold sponsorTechnology or IntegrationLighting technology sponsor providing energy-efficient LED lighting solutions and smart lighting controls for sustainable building interiors.
• Polycabgold sponsorTechnology or IntegrationElectrical cables and wires sponsor providing wiring solutions for the team's solar-powered building electrical distribution systems.
• Owens Corninggold sponsorTechnology or IntegrationBuilding materials sponsor providing insulation and composite material solutions for sustainable construction.
• Bosch HomesponsorTechnology or IntegrationHome appliances sponsor providing energy-efficient kitchen and household appliances for integration into the team's sustainable housing projects.
• SoftTech GlobalsponsorTechnology or IntegrationEngineering software and technology sponsor providing tools and expertise for structural design and construction planning.
• CromptonsponsorTechnology or IntegrationElectrical equipment sponsor providing fans, lighting, and electrical solutions for the team's sustainable building systems.
• Prince Pipesplatinum sponsorTechnology or IntegrationPiping solutions sponsor providing plumbing and piping materials for water management systems including rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling.
• EcoYouassociative sponsorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociative sponsor providing sustainable building materials and eco-friendly construction solutions for the team's projects.
• IIT Bombay STP (Solar Thermal Programme)institutional partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional support from IIT Bombay's Solar Thermal Programme providing academic guidance, research infrastructure, and faculty mentorship for the team's thermal systems development.
• Entelechy SystemssponsorTechnology or IntegrationSmart building automation technology sponsor providing control systems and energy management solutions for the team's projects.
• UNDP Indiainternational partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Nations Development Programme providing strategic support and international development expertise for sustainable housing initiatives.
• OriginLabsponsorTechnology or IntegrationData analysis and graphing software sponsor providing OriginLab tools for research data analysis and visualisation across thermal and energy systems testing.
• SustLabssilver sponsorTechnology or IntegrationSustainability technology sponsor providing monitoring and measurement solutions for building energy performance analysis.
• Rainy Filterssilver sponsorTechnology or IntegrationWater filtration and management sponsor providing water treatment solutions for rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling systems.
• Seal for Lifeplatinum sponsorTechnology or IntegrationSealant and waterproofing materials sponsor providing construction sealants and waterproofing solutions for durable sustainable building envelopes.
• VekasponsorTechnology or IntegrationUPVC window and door systems sponsor providing energy-efficient fenestration solutions for the team's sustainable building projects.
• Kitec IndiasponsorTechnology or IntegrationPiping systems sponsor providing plumbing and fluid transport solutions for water management systems.
• Ameet Innovationsgold sponsorTechnology or IntegrationInnovative building solutions sponsor providing advanced material technologies for sustainable construction.
• Sugamsilver sponsorTechnology or IntegrationEnvironmental solutions sponsor providing sustainable building and environmental management solutions.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute): India's leading research institute on energy, environment, and sustainable development. While broader in scope than Team SHUNYA, TERI operates in the same thematic space of sustainable buildings, energy efficiency, and policy engagement, and represents a potential institutional partner or competitor for talent.
• Mahindra Lifespace Developers: An Indian real estate developer with a stated focus on sustainable, green-certified residential projects. Comparable to Team SHUNYA in addressing the Indian mid-income urban housing segment with sustainability as a differentiator, though operating at vastly larger commercial scale.
• Tata Housing Development Company: A large Indian residential developer with sustainability and affordable housing initiatives. Operates in Team SHUNYA's target market of Indian urban and peri-urban housing with a sustainability angle, and represents a potential commercial partner for the team's innovations.
• Godrej Properties: A major Indian real estate developer with sustainability-focused residential projects and IGBC-certified developments. As an established commercial player in the same target market (urban Indian housing), Godrej represents both a potential commercialization partner and a competitive benchmark.

Emerging players

• CEPT University: An Indian academic institution focused on architecture, planning, and sustainable design with strong faculty research in energy-efficient buildings. CEPT is a relevant regional peer given its focus on sustainable urban habitat design in the Indian context.

Direct peers

• University of Maryland (reACT House): University of Maryland's Solar Decathlon team with a track record of net-zero and resilient home designs. The team is directly comparable in terms of competition participation, sustainable building focus, and academic institutional sponsorship.
• Virginia Tech FutureHAUS: Virginia Tech's Solar Decathlon team has won multiple international Solar Decathlon events and operates with a similar student-led, multidisciplinary model at a US university. Both teams compete head-to-head at Solar Decathlon events, making FutureHAUS the most direct peer in competition profile, scale, and approach.
• UC Davis Solar Decathlon Team: A leading US university Solar Decathlon team designing and building net-zero solar homes for the same international competitions. The peer relationship is direct in terms of competition participation, target market (sustainable residential), and student-driven multidisciplinary model.
• TU Eindhoven Solar Decathlon Team: A leading European university team that has won Solar Decathlon Europe with prefabricated, sustainable housing designs. Comparable to Team SHUNYA in modular construction focus, international competition experience, and student-driven innovation model.
• IIT Roorkee Solar Decathlon Team: An Indian IIT-affiliated student team participating in the Solar Decathlon with similar multidisciplinary, student-led, sustainable housing focus. As a direct domestic peer in academic setting, competition participation, and target market, this is one of the most comparable Indian teams.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/teamshunya-iitb

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Team SHUNYA, IIT Bombay