IIM-Calcutta Innovation Park Launches INR 50 Cr Fund for Cleantech Startups The fund will be deployed over the next 12 to 18 months to support startups working in clean energy, climate resilience, sustainable agriculture, and waste-to-value solutions.

The IIM-Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP) on Tuesday announced a dedicated fund of INR 50 crore to back early-stage cleantech and sustainability ventures.

The fund will be deployed over the next 12 to 18 months to support startups working in clean energy, climate resilience, sustainable agriculture, and waste-to-value solutions, the organisation said in a statement.

"The initiative marks a turning point in how India nurtures sustainability-led enterprises. Beyond capital, the programme will provide startups with mentorship, market access, and partnerships with corporates and governments, creating a full-stack ecosystem," said IIMCIP Chairman Ajay Jain.

Jain added that the vision extended beyond business success. "The next major wave of innovation in India will come from cleantech and sustainability. For us, success is not just about creating unicorns, but about transforming lives and communities," he noted.

Alongside the fund, IIMCIP unveiled its 'Mission 2047' which aims to impact one billion lives by 2047. The roadmap includes scaling women and rural entrepreneurship programmes, catalysing ecosystems in underserved regions such as the east and Northeast, and mobilising larger investment pools through CSR, philanthropy, and private investors.

Subhrangshu Sanyal, CEO of IIMCIP, called the fund a natural next step. "Over the past decade, we have funded more than 130 startups, enabled over INR 2,000 crore in follow-on investments, and built a portfolio valued at over INR 8,000 crore," he said.

Since its inception in 2014, IIMCIP has mentored over 2,000 startups and seed-funded more than 130 ventures, including firms such as agri-services platform Dehaat and medical AI startup 5C Network.