The fourth edition of the Circular Design Challenge (CDC) - India's largest platform and award for design entrepreneurs working circularly, an initiative of R | ElanTM Fashion for Earth, in collaboration with FDCI x Lakmé Fashion Week and UN and UNDP Environment (UNEP), has announced a list of six emerging design entrepreneurs. 

This season, the platform has pushed the boundaries to move international nominations in partnership with British Council & Studio MM04 for the UK and Germany. The program received more than 55 applications from India, the UK, and Germany. The final six startups were selected after a rigorous online presentation and evaluation process that considered circuit design, environmental and social impacts, United Nations business plans, and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The finalists - CHAMAR by Sudheer Rajbhar, Humanity Centered Designs by Vishal Tolambia, Pieux by Pratyush Kumar, Sanah Sharma by Sanah Sharma, SATAT by Radhika Malhotra, and Thaely by Ashay Bhave - will present their cases and collections to the final jury and try to be there Judges Previous platform winners - "I am the sari" from season 1, "Malai" from season 2 and "Bandit" from season 3.

The six finalists were added by a panel of judges consisting of Archana Data, SCP and Circular Economics Expert - Asian Institute of Technology, Darshana Gajare, RISE Worldwide, Karishma Shahani, Design Mentor, Pranav Hanna, Business Mentor, and Rakesh Bali, Reliance Industries Ltd. 

Finalists are nurtured through various mentors that equip them with knowledge and skills in product design and development, business and marketing, circularity principles, and life cycle analysis. This mentoring session empowers them to become actual change agents through their business and innovation.