Impact-resistant sports T-shirt wins national hackathon for Sona College trio
Synopsis
Three fashion technology students from Tamil Nadu beat over 700 rivals at a Ministry of Textiles national hackathon by building a sports T-shirt that uses shear-thickening fluid to harden on impact — a lab-grade protective material now embedded in everyday sportswear for cricket, hockey, and football players.
Key Takeaways
Saran , and Sushmitha K.S. of Sona College of Technology, Tamil Nadu won first prize at the Sanrachna Design Innovation Hackathon on 20 July .
The winning entry was an impact-resistant sports T-shirt using a shear-thickening fluid (STF) inner layer that stiffens on impact to absorb ball-strike force.
The team beat more than 700 entries and received a cash prize of ₹1 lakh .
The T-shirt targets athletes in cricket, hockey, football, volleyball, and golf .
A second Sona College team won the Special Innovation Recognition Award for a flame-resistant cotton fabric process using natural materials.
The hackathon was organised by the Ministry of Textiles under the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM) at BharatTex 2026 , New Delhi .
Three B.Tech Fashion Technology students from Sona College of Technology, Tamil Nadu, have won the top prize at Sanrachna, the Design Innovation Hackathon organised by the Ministry of Textiles, for developing an impact-resistant sports T-shirt designed to protect athletes from high-speed ball strikes. The win was announced on Monday, 20 July, according to a statement issued by the institution.
The Winning Innovation
Nandheeswar M., G. Saran, and Sushmitha K.S. secured first place among more than 700 entries at the hackathon, held as part of BharatTex 2026 in New Delhi from 14 to 17 July. The team also took home a cash prize of ₹1 lakh.
The T-shirt features an inner protective layer treated with a shear-thickening fluid (STF) — an advanced material that remains soft and pliable under normal conditions but stiffens instantly upon impact. This mechanism absorbs and disperses the force of high-speed ball strikes, reducing the risk of injury to the wearer.
Sports Applications and Design Goals
The innovation is intended for use across multiple sports, including cricket, hockey, football, volleyball, and golf. According to the institution's statement, the design prioritises combining comfort with protection — enabling athletes to wear lightweight apparel without sacrificing mobility or safety during play.
Notably, STF-based protective textiles have been an active area of research globally, but commercial applications in affordable sportswear remain limited. The students' entry bridges that gap with a wearable, sport-specific format.
Second Team Earns Special Recognition
A second team from Sona College of Technology's Department of Fashion Technology also received recognition at the hackathon. Supriya E., Monika S., and Kabila Shree N.R. were awarded the Special Innovation Recognition Award in the Best Innovation Project category for developing a flame-resistant finishing process for cotton fabric using natural resources.
The team was recognised for its sustainable approach, innovative use of natural materials, and the potential applications of its method in protective textiles.
What the Institution Said
S.R.R. Senthilkumar, Principal of Sona College of Technology, congratulated both teams and said the awards reflected the institution's emphasis on innovation and interdisciplinary learning. 'Our students are encouraged to translate scientific knowledge and engineering principles into practical solutions for real-world challenges. Their success at BharatTex 2026 demonstrates the department's strengths in technical textiles, functional apparel and product innovation with societal impact,' he said.
About the Sanrachna Hackathon
The Sanrachna Design Innovation Hackathon was organised by the Ministry of Textiles with support from the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM), with the stated aim of promoting innovation and entrepreneurship in technical textiles and functional apparel. The hackathon formed part of the broader BharatTex 2026 event held in New Delhi. As India pushes to expand its technical textiles sector — one of the priority areas under the NTTM — competitions like Sanrachna are increasingly positioning student-led research as a pipeline for industry-ready solutions.
Point of View
Not just policy documents. Shear-thickening fluid has existed in defence and industrial applications for years — the leap here is embedding it into affordable, sport-specific apparel, which is where the real market is. The Ministry of Textiles' decision to run this hackathon under the NTTM umbrella is deliberate: it creates a talent pipeline at the undergraduate level, where cost-sensitive innovation tends to happen fastest. The question is whether prize-winning prototypes like this one find a path to commercialisation, or remain showcase entries. Without a structured incubation bridge — funding, IP support, industry partnerships — the gap between hackathon podium and store shelf will remain wide.
NationPress
21 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the Sona College students win at the Sanrachna hackathon?
The three students — Nandheeswar M., G. Saran, and Sushmitha K.S. — won first prize and a cash award of ₹1 lakh at the Sanrachna Design Innovation Hackathon, held at BharatTex 2026 in New Delhi from 14 to 17 July 2026. They beat more than 700 competing entries.
What is the shear-thickening fluid technology used in the T-shirt?
Shear-thickening fluid (STF) is an advanced material that remains soft and flexible under normal conditions but stiffens instantly when subjected to a sudden impact or force. In the winning T-shirt, STF is applied to an inner protective layer, allowing it to absorb and disperse the energy from high-speed ball strikes without restricting the athlete's movement during normal play.
Which sports is the impact-resistant T-shirt designed for?
According to the institution's statement, the T-shirt is intended for use in cricket, hockey, football, volleyball, and golf — sports where athletes face a significant risk of injury from high-speed ball contact.
What is the Sanrachna Design Innovation Hackathon?
Sanrachna is a national-level design innovation hackathon organised by the Ministry of Textiles, supported by the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM). It was held as part of BharatTex 2026 in New Delhi and aims to promote student-led innovation in technical textiles and functional apparel.
Did any other team from Sona College win recognition at BharatTex 2026?
Yes. A second team from Sona College of Technology's Department of Fashion Technology — comprising Supriya E., Monika S., and Kabila Shree N.R. — received the Special Innovation Recognition Award in the Best Innovation Project category for developing a flame-resistant finishing process for cotton fabric using natural resources.
