Kolkata, India, August 19, 2025:In a bold move to accelerate India’s green innovation journey, IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP), one of the country’s leading incubation platforms under the aegis of IIM Calcutta, today announced the launch of a ₹50 crore dedicated fund for cleantech and sustainability startups. To be deployed over the next 12–18 months, the fund will support early-stage ventures across India working in clean energy, climate resilience, sustainable agriculture and waste-to-value solutions.
Making the announcement, Mr. Ajay Jain, Chairman of IIMCIP, said, “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 to help them scale faster and deliver meaningful climate impact.
“The next major wave of innovation in India will come from cleantech and sustainability. Through this ₹50 crore fund, we aim to support entrepreneurs from anywhere in the country who can deliver both economic growth and climate impact. For us, success is not just about creating unicorns, but about transforming lives and communities on the path to Viksit Bharat @2047,” said Mr. Ajay Jain.
In addition to the fund, Mr. Jain also outlined IIMCIP’s Mission 2047 – A Social Unicorn, which aspires to impact 1 billion lives by 2047. The roadmap includes:
“Our roadmap is ambitious but clear. We want to prove that India’s startup nation is not confined to metros. It is equally alive in Guwahati, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar and every small town where entrepreneurial dreams take root,” Mr. Jain added.
Dr. Subhrangshu Sanyal, CEO, IIMCIP, said, “At IIMCIP, impact has always been our true measure of success. Over the past decade, we have funded more than 130 startups, enabled over ₹2,000 crore in follow-on investments, and built a portfolio valued at over ₹8,000 crore. Along the way, we have seen several profitable exits that demonstrate the strength and maturity of our incubation model. Our efforts have created more than 35,000 jobs, scaled 450 rural enterprises and touched the lives of over 9.5 million people. The launch of our cleantech and sustainability fund is a natural next step to back entrepreneurs who can shape India’s green economy and deliver impact at scale.”
Since its inception in 2014, IIMCIP has emerged as one of the national leaders in inclusive incubation, with a strong presence in the East and Northeast. Its portfolio includes notable successes such as Dehaat, a tech-enabled platform offering end-to-end agricultural services through local micro-entrepreneurs, tackling value-chain inefficiencies and boosting farmer incomes,and 5C Network, one of the fastest growing medical AI companies, specialising in remote Radiology reporting and advanced AI-powered diagnostic tools. With more than 20 corporate partners, 50+ investor partnersand 150+ mentors, IIMCIP has become a powerful catalyst for entrepreneurship that delivers both social and economic returns.
With the announcement of the ₹50 crore cleantech fund and the unveiling of Mission 2047, IIMCIP has reinforced its vision to become one of India’s most inclusive and impactful incubators, building startups that create livelihoods, empower women and drive sustainability-led national growth.
About IIM Calcutta Innovation Park
IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP), established under the aegis of the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta in 2014, is a premier business incubator that empowers innovative, impact-driven enterprises. With a strong focus on underserved regions and rural women entrepreneurs, IIMCIP combines business expertise, funding and network connects to catalyse the growth of socially impactful startups and build inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems across India.