SIH26110: Development of a Low-Cost Light-weight Milk Chilling Can for Small-Scale Dairy F — SIH 2026 | Wynit

SIH26110: Development of a Low-Cost Light-weight Milk Chilling Can for Small-Scale Dairy F — SIH 2026 | Wynit

What they'll ask you

10

Generated from the brief's own wording and the competition's published rules, never from a guess about what this ministry prefers.

The exact target cost in rupees?
The brief never answers this, so a panel will. Whatever you decide, say it the same way twice.
The exact weight limit for the empty can?
The brief never answers this, so a panel will. Whatever you decide, say it the same way twice.
Has any part of this been shown at a previous event, hackathon or college project?
The guidelines are explicit: your solution must not have appeared in any previous event or programme, of any sort. A recycled project is what a team under time pressure reaches for.

7 morethe ones a panel gets to if there is time

The brief asks for insulated can body. How would you build that?
Decoded from SIH26110 itself: An insulated double-wall structure built with materials like food-grade HDPE, aluminum alloys, or composites with polyurethane foam. The brief asks for it by name.
The brief asks for passive cooling system. How would you build that?
Decoded from SIH26110 itself: A cooling mechanism using reusable ice packs, phase change materials, or passive cooling technologies that require no electricity. The brief asks for it by name.
The brief asks for temperature control. How would you build that?
Decoded from SIH26110 itself: A system capable of maintaining milk temperatures between 4 degrees Celsius and 8 degrees Celsius for 6 to 12 hours. The brief asks for it by name.
The brief asks for usability features. How would you build that?
Decoded from SIH26110 itself: Ergonomic handles, a leak-proof lid, and an optional temperature monitoring indicator for easy handling. The brief asks for it by name.
Why not use what already exists? Name the closest thing to this that is already running.
A team that has not named the alternative themselves is answering this for the first time in the room.
Which single thing will you demonstrate end to end, start to finish, with nothing skipped?
Ours, not a rule: a narrow thing that fully works survives questioning better than a broad thing that half works. If nobody on the team can name it, that is the finding.
Show me this working: the jury will evaluate whether the prototype maintains milk temperatures between 4 degrees Celsius and 8 degrees Celsius for 6 to 12 hours without electricity, uses food-grade materials, and holds 30 to 40 litres while remaining low cost.
This is the evaluator read for your problem statement, decoded from the brief's own wording.

The government's original description (341 words)

• Background Milk is a highly perishable agricultural product that begins to deteriorate rapidly after milking due to bacterial growth and enzymatic activity. ln many rural and remote dairy-producing regions, particularly Hilly and North Eastern Regions, farmers lack access to bulk milk cooling facilities and reliable electricity. As a result, milk often remains at ambient temperatures for several hours before reaching collection centers, leading to quality degradation, reduced shelf life and economic losses. Available solutions are expensive, relatively heavy and low volume storage cans, making them uneconomical for use or during transportation. • Description The proposed problem aims to develop a low-cost, lightweight milk chilling can capable of maintaining milk at safe storage temperatures during collection and transportation. The can should be manufactured using food-grade lightweight materials such as High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), aluminum alloys or composite materials while ensuring structural strength and hygiene standards.The design should incorporate an insulated double-wall structure with materials such as polyurethane foam (PUF) or other cost-effective insulating materials to minimize heat transfer. The chilling mechanism may utilize reusable ice packs, phase change materials (PCM), or passive cooling technologies that do not require continuous electrical power. The system should be capable of maintaining milk temperatures between 4Â°C and 8Â°C for several hours under typical rural environmental conditions.The solution should also consider ease of handling, cleaning, transportation and durability.Optional features such as a temperature monitoring indicator, leak-proof lid and ergonomic handles may be included to improve usability. The product should be affordable enough for adoption by small and marginal dairy farmers and suitable for village-level milk collection systems/centres. • Expected Solution A lightweight, insulated milk chilling can with a capacity of 30-40 litres that can maintain milk at safe temperatures for at least 6-12 hours without external power supply. The developed solution should reduce milk spoilage, improve milk quality during transportation, lower handling effort due lo reduced weight and cost significantly less than conventional insulated stainless-steel chilling containers. The final prototype should be durable, food-safe, easy to manufacture and suitable for widespread deployment in rural dairy supply chains.