The Energy Sector accounts for more than three quarters of global greenhouse gas emissions, with energy-related CO2 reaching a record of 37.5 Gt in 2024.
India’s Decentralised Renewable Energy Sector faces a significant deployment gap with mature solutions capable of impacting 37 million livelihoods. However currently 60% of rural households face power outages, and 120 M people lack access to clean cooking.
India has a projected battery demand of 244 GWh by 2035 to address the Renewable Energy penetration gap, as heatwaves are pushing the electricity demand up by nearly 9% during peak summer months. Here, fossil-fuel-based power is forced to bridge the gap, intensifying the heat–power cycle.
OVERVIEW
India’s clean energy growth is at an inflection point. Renewable energy deployment is growing rapidly, but rising electricity demand, extreme heat, fossil-fuel dependence, uneven energy access, and gaps in storage and efficiency continue to slow down the shift to a resilient low-carbon energy system. The next wave of progress will depend on strengthening the entire value chain through innovation, from access and generation to storage, distribution, consumption, and efficiency.
Techtonic: Innovations in Clean Energy seeks to identify and support science-led and consumer-centric innovations that can solve critical bottlenecks across India’s energy value chain. The challenge will be focused on solutions that can expand the productive use of energy, improve reliability through storage, reduce energy intensity across cooling, MSMEs, building, and industry, and enable wider adoption of clean technologies. The program aims to enable a cleaner and more resilient energy system and contribute to India’s long-term climate and development goals.
Focus Areas
Energy Access remains a critical gap for underserved communities where grid reach and reliability are limited. India’s DRE sector faces a significant deployment gap. The gap is not technology primarily but inefficiencies in last mile distribution, after-sales service and market linkages. The challenge extends beyond electricity to clean cooking impacting health and creating pollution, and cold storage where infrastructure continues to drive post-harvest losses, and underutilised potential, irrigation which is still dependent largely on diesel as fuel. Solving these challenges requires innovations in productive use of renewable energies, innovation in last mile delivery, clean cooking, and extending to service and financing.
Potential solutions may include, but are not limited to:
- Decentralised Renewable Energy: Renewable energy-powered decentralised food processing technologies including cold storage, solar irrigation, cold chain, farm mechanisation and drying solutions that enable productive use of clean energy at the last mile with reliable after-sales service while reducing post-harvest losses for smallholder farmers.
- Biogas: Advanced materials and biotechnology innovations that enhance the purification and upgrading of biogas and compressed biogas, enabling higher methane recovery and improved energy yield.
As renewable energy scales rapidly, inherent intermittency increasingly threatens grid stability, creating critical demand for long-duration storage capable of dispatching power across hours and days. India’s electric mobility sector is expanding significantly; however it is still dependent on incumbent technologies such as Li-Ion that face challenges of safety, and import dependent supply chain. This, underscores the need for next-generation energy storage innovations – spanning both grid scale duration and safer indigenous chemistries for mobility and stationary use
Potential solutions may include, but are not limited to:
- Alternate and Advanced Cell Chemistries: Sustainable, high-performance energy storage systems that eliminate dependency on exploitative mined minerals through the creation of alternative, and advanced chemistries.
- Long Duration Energy Storage: Scalable Long Duration Energy Storage solutions that can address Renewable Energy intermittency and curtailment issues.
- Distributed Storage and VPP: Flexible resilient storage ecosystems that maximise the value of distributed and household battery assets through virtual power plant aggregation and next-generation residential energy storage systems.
According to the International Energy Agency, energy efficiency is considered the ‘first fuel’ for energy transition – the fastest and cheapest lever for reducing demand, emissions, and infrastructure strain, ahead of any new-generation capacity Yet, India’s efficiency gap remains wide and spans multiple layers of system: high cooling demand growth with low-efficiency appliances, energy-intensive MSMEs and industrial processes with limited access to modern technology, grid/transmission & distribution (T&D) infrastructure with losses of power before it reaches to consumers. Closing this gap requires, innovation in generation (T&D), advanced cooling tech, industrial efficiency, and smarter responsive consumption at the grid edge.
Potential solutions may include, but are not limited to:
- Cooling: Next-generation cooling technologies, alternative refrigerants, phase change materials, solid-state cooling to deliver affordable and sustainable thermal management for residential, commercial, and industrial applications.
- Core Components: High-efficiency components and equipment’s - such as motors (rare-earth free), heat pumps, waste heat recovery system, compressors, turbine,
boiler, generators etc. - MSME: Technologies developed to enhance the equipment, process efficiency, and promote decentralised manufacturing in the MSME industries.
- Grid, and Transmission & Distribution: Resilient, self-optimising, transmission and distribution network that minimises outages, degradation, and losses through optimised line routing, next-gen tower design, predictive maintenance analytics, agentic AI, digital twins, and LV automation
- Power System and Design Innovation: Efficient responsive energy value chains that reduces technical losses and consumer cost through advanced power conversion design (inverters, solid-state transformers), load disaggregation insights, energy-as-a-service models, and peer-to-peer trading platforms.
India crossed a 50% renewable energy share of installed electricity capacity in 2025. However, actual renewable generation output remains closer to 26-29% of the mix. This gap stems from intermittency, degradation losses, and reliance on imported technology components across the solar and wind value chains. Closing this gap requires innovation that improves real-world energy output per MW, reduces performance losses over the asset life, and builds indigenous manufacturing and design capabilities that can scale to meet India’s growing energy demand.
Potential Solutions may include, but are not limited to:
- Generation Efficiency & Asset Performance: High-yield, low-degradation solar and wind generation that maximises energy capture and minimises downtime through advanced cell/panel efficiency improvements, optimised manufacturing processes, predictive analytics, targeted O&M interventions (including autonomous robotic cleaning).
- Loss Prevention and Circularity: Protecting and extending the value of renewable assets by reducing energy theft and distribution losses through intelligent detection systems, and reducing waste and material dependency through circular design, recycling, and material recovery across the solar PV value chain.
Who Should Apply
Start-ups and innovators at any of the following stages with deep-science and technology innovation can apply:
- R&D Stage start-ups developing early prototypes or MVPs (TRL 3–4)
- Pilot Stage start-ups ready for real-world validation with users or industry partners (TRL 5–6)
- Scale-Up Stage start-ups with demonstrated solutions ready for market expansion (TRL 7–9)
Program Offerings
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Important Dates
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Applications Open
21st July, 2026
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Application Deadline
21st August, 2026
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Evaluation of Applications
August, 2026
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Jury Round
September, 2026
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Winner Announcement
September, 2026
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Start-up Acceleration
September, 2026 Onwards
Our Partners
frequently asked questions
1. Who can apply for the program?
The program is open to clean energy start-ups across different stages of maturity, including those developing prototypes or MVPs, validating their solutions in real-world conditions, and scaling commercially viable innovations for broader market deployment and growth.
2. In which category am I eligible to apply?
Applicants should apply to the category that best reflects their technology maturity and stage of development. Start-ups developing a prototype or MVPs should apply under the R&D Stage (TRL 3-4), those ready to validate their solution in real-world conditions should apply under the Pilot Stage (TRL 5-6), and start-ups with demonstrated commercial viability should apply under the Scale-Up Stage (TRL 7–9). In addition, the solution should align with one of the program focus areas: Energy Access (biomass, biogas, decentralized renewable energy), Energy Storage (alternate battery chemistries, long-duration storage), or Energy Efficiency (cooling technologies, high-efficiency components, and industrial process efficiency).
3. Are we focusing on other innovation type other than mentioned in the focus areas?
Applicants are encouraged to submit applications for technology-based innovations that focus on solving challenges faced in the energy sector, including access, storage, efficiency, and renewables across the country’s value chain.
4. Can I submit more than one application for different technologies?
No, one enterprise can submit only one application. If your enterprise has multiple SKUs or innovations across different technologies, you can easily include them by choosing multiple “Areas of Focus” on the application form and describing each of your innovations.
5. What is the duration of the engagement?
The engagement for the selected start-ups is typically 12 months. However, the duration may vary from case to case based on the needs of the start-up or innovation. Post selection, the innovator/ start-up will work with Social Alpha to develop a customized support proposal, which will detail the specifics of the support it will receive under the program. If the innovator/ start-up and Social Alpha are not able to agree on the support proposal, the engagement will not proceed further, and the innovator/ start-up will be dropped from the cohort.
6. What are the different types of benefits I can avail?
Selected start-ups will receive stage-specific support to help develop, validate, deploy, and scale their clean energy innovations. R&D Stage start-ups may receive up to INR 10 lakhs in credit-based incubation support, along with access to Social Alpha Labs, prototyping facilities, technical infrastructure, and product development assistance. Selected start-ups that are physically incubated at Social Alpha Labs may be eligible to receive additional grant funding on a case-by-case basis. Pilot Stage start-ups may receive funding support for pilot deployments, while Scale-Up Stage start-ups may receive up to INR 60 lakhs to accelerate commercialisation and market expansion. Across all stages, start-ups will benefit from mentorship, capacity-building, market access, strategic partnerships, and access to Social Alpha’s innovation ecosystem. Eligible start-ups may also be considered for seed investment opportunities, subject to Social Alpha’s due diligence and investment criteria.
7. If selected, do I have to be physically present for any cohort-based sessions? Is attendance necessary?
The start-ups/ innovators will also be required to attend relevant workshops, events, and demo days during the incubation period, either physically or virtually depending upon the need. Selected start-ups may also be required to complete online assessment modules as part of the program. Unless there is a pre-communicated, genuine, and unavoidable reason for absence, a start-up/ innovator missing most of the program will not only lose the actual benefits of their selection but may also be reconsidered for continued support from the program.
8. How frequently will Social Alpha interface with the cohort during the program?
There will be regular interface between the start-up/ innovator and the Social Alpha team. Each start-up will be assigned a portfolio manager to help with customised requests, who will engage with the start-ups/ innovators continually and regularly.
9. What kind of funding support can I avail through the program?
The specific support for each of the 3 stages—R&D Stage (TRL 3-4), Pilot Stage (TRL 5-6), and Scale-Up Stage—is mentioned in the Offerings section. Additionally, there is a potential Seed Investment opportunity subject to Social Alpha’s due-diligence, above and beyond other mentioned offerings. Please note that this funding is not promised or guaranteed and will be evaluated entirely on a case-by-case basis. Start-ups may also gain facilitated access to a larger investor and donor network, subject to detailed due diligence.
10. Can I submit my application after the deadline?
No, applications submitted after the stated deadline will not be evaluated.
Terms and Conditions
Please read the following terms and conditions before submitting your entry:
1. Eligibility
- Participating or proposed ventures should be independent entities, meaning that they should not be a subsidiary of an existing corporation or have legal ties to a government body.
- As the program is looking for start-ups to work on establishing marketing channels for existing products and not research, only those with developed ideas and/or prototypes should apply.
- The applicant should be a registered company in India. The shareholding by Indian promoters in the company should be at least 51%.
- The participating entity must not be registered as a Section 8 company or a Trust.
- The start-up or company should not have been incorporated for more than 10 years.
- The applicant’s annual turnover must not exceed INR ₹200 crore (or Rs.INR 300 crore for DeepTech ventures) in any given financial year.
- For an R&D grant (credits), physical incubation is mandatory. Over and above credits, there will be product development grants (subject to interest in physical incubation); quantum will be on a case-to-case basis.
2. Submissions and Participation
- Submissions which are incomplete will be deemed void and disqualified from the program evaluations.
- Submissions should be the original work of the participant/ participating entity, should demonstrate positive social or environmental impact, and should have a disruptive technology innovation with the potential to be sustainable and scalable in India (though not exclusively in the region).
- Participants who are selected to be ‘Finalists’ and ranked in the final evaluation stage might be required to send at least one core member for the final round of evaluations, at their own expense.
- Winners agree to the use of their names, photographs, and the disclosure of their country of residence; and are required to cooperate with any other reasonable requests by the organiser relating to any publicity-related activities.
- Winners may have to submit a declaration of good standing and solvency at the final stage of evaluation. If there is any change in circumstance that invalidates their good standing and solvency, the team is to immediately inform the organisers.
- All participants own the rights to their ideas. Participants must properly acknowledge any trademarks, patented or copyrighted materials of others that are incorporated into the submission materials. Participants are responsible for obtaining any necessary permission before utilising such materials in their submissions.
- Participants are advised not to disclose critical information that would affect the successful filing of patent(s) or that which may be trade secrets. All presentations are open to the general public, and some presentations may be videotaped. Attendance by media personnel is expected in the final stages of the program. Any data or information discussed or divulged by participants should be considered information that will likely enter the public realm, and entrants should not assume any right of confidentiality in any data or information discussed, divulged or presented in these sessions.
3. Decisions regarding the winners
- The selection of the ‘Winners’ is at the sole discretion of the judges and the organisers from Social Alpha and partnering organisations.
- Throughout all phases of the Challenge, all decisions of the judges and organisers are final.
4. Disqualification and Organiser’s Right to Amend Competition Rules
- The organisers of the program reserve the right to disqualify any participant who is found to have violated the spirit of the application guidelines and terms and conditions stated herein. Disqualified participants shall forfeit all prizes/support awarded to them.
- The organisers reserve the right to amend these rules at any point in line with the overall goal of the Challenge.
- The indicated dates for the applications may be revised at any point of time by the organisers. Any change in schedule will be suitably intimated on the applications webpage and on other relevant platforms.
For any assistance needed in filling the application form, please reach out to us at