The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade has entered into a strategic two-year partnership with the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet to catalyze climate-tech entrepreneurship, the government said on Saturday.
The collaboration, marked by signing a memorandum of understanding, aims to accelerate clean energy innovation by supporting early-stage startups with access to funding, mentorship, pilot opportunities and market linkages.
The initiative is designed to foster a pipeline of scalable ventures that align with India’s target to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2070.
“This partnership will open up significant opportunities for clean energy startups,” said Sanjiv, joint secretary at DPIIT. “A strong entrepreneurial ecosystem is essential for driving India’s climate leadership.”
Competitive Platform and Investment Support
Under the agreement, GEAPP will launch the Energy Transitions Innovation Challenge, a competitive platform offering up to $500,000 in rewards for high-impact climate-tech solutions.
GEAPP will also facilitate investment support through capital partners such as Spectrum Impact and Avana Capital.
The DPIIT will integrate the program into its existing Startup India network, leveraging major government schemes to expand outreach and ensure broad participation.
Saurabh Kumar, vice president for GEAPP in India, called the initiative a “pivotal step” in enabling systemic change through collaboration among government, industry and innovators.
“GEAPP’s global expertise combined with Startup India’s reach and DPIIT’s policy support creates a powerful platform for clean energy innovation,” he said.
Dr. Sumeet Jarangal and Kumar signed the MoU in the presence of senior officials from both organizations.
Startup Tax Relief Sees Major Uptick
The announcement comes as India continues to scale up efforts to nurture its startup ecosystem. Earlier this week, DPIIT approved 187 startups for tax relief under the revised Section 80-IAC of the Income Tax Act.
The approvals, finalized during the 79th and 80th meetings of the Inter-Ministerial Board, bring the total number of exempted startups to over 3,700 since the scheme’s inception.
Eligible startups can claim a 100 percent income tax deduction on profits for any three consecutive years within a ten-year window, provided they were incorporated before April 1, 2030. The move aims to support young enterprises during their most critical growth phases.
The government has also introduced a more transparent and structured evaluation framework, with complete applications now reviewed within 120 days. Unsuccessful applicants have been encouraged to revise and resubmit, with a focus on technological innovation, scalability and job creation.
