Earth at night — who funds climate in India

Who Funds Climate in India?

The whole capital landscape in one place: grant funders, investors and acquirers. Every node is sourced. Nothing here is marketing.

49

Sourced nodes

34

Grant funders

8

Investors

7

Acquirers

A founder rarely needs more than three answers: what grants are open (the directory), who writes the cheques (investors, below), and who ends up buying (acquirers). This map answers the last two. It is a living directory of non-dilutive grants — this page is the capital landscape around them.

Filter by type, or search for a name, sector or startup. Click any node's source link to check our work — the trust is in the sourcing.

The capital flow

Money moves top to bottom: grant funders first, investors next, acquirers as the exit. Search or scan a lane.

49 of 49 nodes · money moves top → bottom

Grant funders

(34)Non-dilutive money: grants, CSR, programmes. Start here.

ABIF IIT Kharagpur

programme

Agri-Tech & Climate-Smart Agriculture

Support: non-dilutive grant

Grants: iit-kharagpur-abif-incubation-program

ACT Grants

foundation

Climate Tech (Cross-Sector / General)

Support: non-dilutive grant

Grants: act-grants-climate-solutions-cohort

AIC-IIITH Foundation

foundation

Deep Tech & AI

Support: non-dilutive grant

Grants: akash-coherent-impacttech-program-aic-iiith

Ashoka University + Environmental Defense Fund

foundation

Climate Tech (Cross-Sector / General)

Support: non-dilutive grant

Grants: ashoka-university-climate-corps-fellowship-2027

C-CAMP

programme

Climate Biotech & Bioeconomy

Support: non-dilutive grant

Grants: c-camp-wadhwani-innovation-network-win-coe-seed-funding

CIE IIIT Hyderabad

programme

Deep Tech & AI

Support: non-dilutive grant

Grants: iiit-hyderabad-cie-avishkar-venture-studio

Climate Collective

foundation

Climate Tech (Cross-Sector / General)

Support: non-dilutive grant

Grants: climate-collective-accelerator-2026

Climate Intervention Environmental Impact Fund (CIEIF)

foundation

Climate Intervention & Climate Tech

Support: non-dilutive grant

Grants: climate-intervention-environmental-impact-fund-cieif

Cummins India

csr

Renewable Energy & Clean Energy

Support: non-dilutive grant

Grants: cummins-csr-green-energy-impact-fund

DBT / BIRAC

gov

Climate Biotech & Bioeconomy

Support: non-dilutive grant

Grants: birac-seed-fund-biotech-startup, birac-big-biotechnology-ignition-grant, birac-leap-fund-biotech-commercialization, dbt-birac-bio-ai-grant-bioe3, design-for-bioe3-challenge-dbt-birac, c-camp-birac-seed-scheme-climate-biotech

DIV Fund

foundation

Climate Tech (Cross-Sector / General)

Support: non-dilutive grant

Grants: div-fund-global-development-innovation-grants

DST

gov

Climate Resilience & Adaptation|Climate Tech (Cross-Sector / General)|Waste & Circular Economy|Water & Wastewater

Support: non-dilutive grant

Grants: dst-water-technology-initiative-wti, dst-nidhi-prayas-prototyping-grant, dst-climate-change-programme-sutra-pic, dst-nidhi-seed-support-system, iit-mandi-catalyst-nidhi-seed-support, dst-waste-management-technologies-program

GEF / UNDP

programme

Climate Resilience & Adaptation

Support: non-dilutive grant

Grants: gef-small-grants-programme-india-undp

HCLFoundation

foundation

Climate Tech (Cross-Sector / General)

Support: non-dilutive grant

Grants: hcltech-grant-climate-rural-development

HDFC Bank

csr

Climate Tech (Cross-Sector / General)

Support: non-dilutive grant

Grants: hdfc-parivartan-startup-grants-fy26

ICAR-NAARM a-IDEA

programme

Agri-Tech & Climate-Smart Agriculture

Support: non-dilutive grant

Grants: icar-naarm-a-idea-agri-business-incubation

IIM Calcutta Innovation Park

programme

Mobility & EV

Support: non-dilutive grant

Grants: maruti-suzuki-nurture-cohort-4-iim-calcutta-innovation-park

IIMA Ventures

programme

Climate Tech (Cross-Sector / General)|Climate Tech (Multi-Sector)

Support: non-dilutive grant

Grants: iima-ventures-bharat-climatetech-initiative, kotak-bizlabs-season-3-accelerator

IIMK LIVE

programme

Deep Tech & AI

Support: non-dilutive grant

Grants: deep-leap-incubation-program-iimk-live

IIT Madras

programme

Climate Tech (Cross-Sector / General)

Support: non-dilutive grant

Grants: iit-madras-techpioneer-grant-program

IKP Knowledge Park

programme

Climate Tech (Cross-Sector / General)

Support: non-dilutive grant

Grants: ikp-knowledge-park-climate-sustainability-grant

Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM)

gov

Agri-Tech & Climate-Smart Agriculture|Climate Tech (Cross-Sector / General)

Support: non-dilutive grant

Grants: agrinext-kerala-climate-resilient-agri-value-chain, ksum-idea-grant-kerala-startup-mission

MNRE

gov

Renewable Energy & Clean Energy

Support: non-dilutive grant

Grants: mnre-concentrating-solar-thermal-indian-industry-2026, mnre-startup-incubation-renewable-energy

MNRE / Startup India

gov

Renewable Energy & Clean Energy

Support: non-dilutive grant

Grants: innovative-projects-startup-grand-challenge-rts-dre

MeitY (Ministry of Electronics & IT)

gov

Climate Tech (Cross-Sector / General)

Support: non-dilutive grant

Grants: meity-tide-2-0-climate-change-innovation, samridh-meity-startup-accelerator

NSRCEL IIM Bangalore

programme

Waste & Circular Economy

Support: non-dilutive grant

Grants: nsrcel-iim-bangalore-circular-economy-incubation, circular-bharat-accelerator-nsrcel

Nasscom

programme

Deep Tech & AI

Support: non-dilutive grant

Grants: nasscom-deeptech-club-accelerate-climate

PIEDS BITS Pilani

programme

Deep Tech & AI

Support: non-dilutive grant

Grants: bits-pilani-pieds-seed-fund

Rainmatter Foundation (Zerodha)

foundation

Climate Tech (Cross-Sector / General)

Support: non-dilutive grant

Grants: rainmatter-foundation-climate-action-grants

SINE IIT Bombay

programme

Renewable Energy & Clean Energy

Support: non-dilutive grant

Grants: iit-bombay-sine-idfc-ignite-program

Social Alpha

foundation

Renewable Energy & Clean Energy

Support: non-dilutive grant

Grants: social-alpha-techtonic-clean-energy-program

Startup India / DPIIT

gov

Climate Tech (Cross-Sector / General)

Support: non-dilutive grant

Grants: startup-india-seed-fund-scheme

Villgro Innovations Foundation

foundation

Agri-Tech & Climate-Smart Agriculture

Support: non-dilutive grant

Grants: villgro-climate-smart-agriculture-program

i-Hub Gujarat (Govt of Gujarat)

gov

Climate Tech (Cross-Sector / General)

Support: non-dilutive grant

Grants: startup-srujan-seed-support-s4-ihub-gujarat

Investors

(8)Equity for capital. Dilutive, but part of the landscape.

Rainmatter (Zerodha)

Corporate VC

Clean energy, agritech, sustainable food, circular/waste

Support: ₹50L–₹100Cr; Seed→Growth

Portfolio: Akshayakalpa, Solarsquare, Zerocircle, Ossus (green H₂)

Avaana Capital

Dedicated climate-tech VC

Energy transition, mobility, sustainable agri/food

Support: $1–3M first cheque; Seed/Series A

Portfolio: Kazam, Eeki Foods, Aerem, Turno, Terra.do

Ankur Capital

Early-stage DeepTech VC

Decarbonization, climate, agritech/food, energy

Support: $500K–2M initial, ~$10M follow-on; Seed/Pre-A

Portfolio: Vimano, OffGrid Energy Labs, String Bio

Omnivore

Impact VC (agritech + climate)

Climate-smart agri, agrifood, carbon credits

Support: $1–5M initial; Seed/Series A

Portfolio: Ecozen, Varaha, altM, Pixxel

NABVENTURES (NABARD)

Venture growth equity (Impact)

Agriculture, food, agtech, rural

Support: ~$2–7M/round; Seed–Series A/B

Portfolio: Aquapulse (led), Tan90, KisaanSay

Speciale Invest

DeepTech VC

Green H₂, energy storage, circular, materials

Support: $750K–1M; Pre-seed/Seed

Portfolio: Newtrace, Metastable Materials

Indian Angel Network (IAN)

Angel network

Cleantech, climate, agritech, energy/waste

Support: $400–600K (Alpha Fund $1–5M); Seed/Series A

Portfolio: GreenPod Labs (led), Carbon Masters

Artha Venture Fund

Early-stage microVC

Climate/EV/agritech slice of broader B2B thesis

Support: Seed ₹4Cr, Pre-A ₹8Cr, A ₹16Cr

Portfolio: Ecosense (Environmental IoT)

Acquirers

(7)Who buys climate startups. Rare in India, mostly EV.

Mahindra & Mahindra

Conglomerate

EV cars, sustainable mobility

Deals: Reva Electric Car Company (2010) 55.2%

Reliance Industries

Conglomerate

Solar software, clean-energy tech

Deals: SenseHawk (2022) 79.4%, $32M

ABB (E-mobility)

Corporate

EV charging infrastructure

Deals: Numocity (2022) controlling stake

Tube Investments of India (Murugappa)

Conglomerate

Heavy-duty EV manufacturing

Deals: IPLTech (2022) 65.2%, up to ₹246 Cr

Jindal Worldwide

Conglomerate

EV two-wheelers

Deals: Earth Energy EV (2022) via Jindal Mobilitric

Ola Electric

EV company

EV two-wheelers

Deals: Etergo (2020)

Hero MotoCorp

Corporate

EV two-wheelers

Deals: Ather Energy (2023-24) ~40% progressive

How to read this

Funders give non-dilutive money (grants, CSR, programmes). Start here.
Investors take equity in exchange for capital. Dilutive, but part of the landscape.
Acquirers buy climate startups. Rare in India, mostly EV — the honest reality.
Every node links to its source (fund page, deal press, or regulator filing). If you can't verify a claim, we won't make it.