Bengaluru generates ~5,400 tonnes of solid waste daily (0.56 kg per capita), but its infrastructure can process only ~2,100 tonnes per day.
The wastewater treatment facilities in Bengaluru treat 60% of the city’s sewage, and the remaining 40% is discharged into drains.
Bengaluru reported a 3.06% rise in daily mortality for every 10 microgram per cubic metre rise in PM2.5 levels.
Bengaluru generates ~4,000 tonnes of construction waste daily, including cement, concrete, mud, wood, and tiles.
OVERVIEW
Bengaluru is the fifth most populous urban agglomeration and one of the fastest-growing metropolises in India. The capital, and one of the oldest cities in Karnataka, Bengaluru, accommodates about 39% of the total urban population of the state.
Once celebrated for its green spaces and pleasant climate, the city is now grappling with the complex realities of rapid urbanisation, including rising population density, infrastructure stress, and environmental degradation. As the technology and innovation capital of India, Bengaluru faces the unique challenge and opportunity of reimagining its urban future to balance growth with sustainability, resilience, and equitable access to services.
Bengaluru’s Climate Action and Resilience Plan (BCAP), launched in 2023, gives the city the opportunity to intensify and coordinate efforts towards planning and managing rapid urban growth in a manner that is climate-aware and aligned to the global climate agenda and India’s Nationally Determined Contributions. Achieving these city-level goals requires strong collaboration between stakeholders across the city government, industry, civil society and innovators in the city.
Hence, The Namma Bengaluru Challenge ‘26, by UnboxingBLR, in partnership with Social Alpha and WTFund supported by GBA, Bengaluru Climate Action Cell and WRI India, aims to identify and support high-potential innovators and entrepreneurs in combating climate change by building resilience and mitigating emissions within Bengaluru.
Focus Areas
Construction
As Bengaluru’s urban footprint expands, the construction of residential and commercial buildings is set to soar, bringing with it a parallel rise in emissions and construction waste. To address this, there is a need for solutions that can optimise resource use, develop alternative materials, safely manage waste in the construction industry, and reduce its environmental impact, which can include but are not limited to:
- Material and process-led innovations that are alternatives to conventionally used construction materials such as cement, bricks, and timber and enable reduced water and energy consumption in the construction of buildings.
- Technology-enabled and/or process-led innovations that enable the collection, transportation, and segregation of C&D waste.
- Material and process innovations that enhance the mechanical properties of C&D waste components to increase their life.
Water & Sanitation
As boundaries of urban Bengaluru continue to grow, water demand will inevitably surge, making equitable distribution a critical priority. However, sustainable water management goes beyond access; it requires a comprehensive approach that addresses availability, quality, and reuse. To do this, there is also a need for solutions to solve various systemic challenges (scarcity, inadequate infrastructure, and O&M), and they include but are not limited to:
- Atmospheric water generators that reduce dependence on groundwater, while enabling access to water suitable for consumption.
- Network and pipeline monitoring that reduces inefficiencies in the distribution network and enables operations and maintenance of pipelines.
- Operations and maintenance-related innovations for community-based drinking water systems that can ensure water quality.
- Filters (design, material used, and process of filtration) that reduce inefficiencies in the existing filtration systems, and target niche contaminants in endemic zones.
- Storm water management (early warning systems, collection, treatment, reuse of stormwater).
- Decentralised systems of sewage treatment at the household or community level, that can be retrofitted to existing plumbing systems and produce water that can be reused for non-potable purposes.
- Mechanisation in the O&M of sewer lines and septic tanks and, facilitating desludging operations.
- Operations & maintenance-related systems to enable hyacinth control and silt remediation and manage water quality (impacted by liquid and solid waste) in water bodies.
Air Pollution
As the air quality in the city continues to worsen, there is a need for solutions to address the impact of air pollution on health, and they include, but are not limited to:
- Low-cost, and energy-efficient air purification systems with components that require minimal maintenance and replacement.
Waste Management
Current disposal practices, ranging from uncontrolled dumping and landfill use to open burning, pose significant threats to public health and ecosystems. With expanding urban boundaries in Bengaluru, there is a need for solutions to establish traceability, reduce consumption, enable reuse and recycling, and they include but are not limited to:
- Collection and upcycling of various waste streams to prevent their disposal in landfills, water bodies, or via open burning.
- Advanced or automated sorting technologies that meet accuracy and speed benchmarks for sorting various waste streams.
- Inclusion of digital platforms that enable real-time monitoring and optimisation of waste collection routes.
- Recycling with improved efficiency, to produce high-quality output in a cost-effective manner.
- Advanced recycling (chemical and biological), which can enable the derivation of high-value products from various waste streams.
Who Should Apply
Innovators and entrepreneurs with deployment-ready solutions that have demonstrated technical performance and measurable social impact and can be deployed in the city of Bengaluru.
Program Offerings
Important Dates
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Applications Open
6th October, 2025
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Application Deadline
4th November, 2025
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Evaluation of Applications
November, 2025
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Jury Round
November – December, 2025
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Announcement of Winners
December, 2025
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Pilot Preparation
January, 2026 – February, 2026
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Program Implementation
March, 2026 – August, 2026
Our Partners
Supported by
frequently asked questions
1. Who can apply?
Innovators and start-ups with solutions that can enable climate resilience across the built environment in collaboration with urban local bodies, industry players and civil society organisations in Bengaluru and enable the city to adopt low-carbon pathways are invited to apply. The start-up must be registered in India, with a citizen of India holding at least 51% of the company’s shares. Currently, the program is open only to start-ups at the following stages:
- Pilot Ready – Innovators and start-ups with solutions at TRL 6+
- Market Ready – Innovators and start-ups with solutions at TRL 7+
2. What is the duration of the program?
The program’s duration is 6 months.
3. What is the structure of the program?
The program has been designed as an Accelerator, to enable start-ups to receive market validation in Bengaluru, while outlining a path for commercialisation and scale through pilot opportunities, interface with government agencies, and exposure to the partner ecosystems within UnboxingBLR, Social Alpha and WTFund.
4. What benefits can I avail from this program?
- Grant support of up to INR 25 lakhs for pilot deployments.
- Overall pilot execution support via a dedicated portfolio manager.
- Access to networking and showcasing opportunities with government entities and private players.
- Seed investment of up to INR 1 crore, subject to alignment with investment thesis and due diligence by Social Alpha.
5. How will the pilot location be determined?
The pilot locations will be in the city of Bengaluru. The program team at Social Alpha will finalize the site in consultation with the deployment partner and the start-up, based on deployment partner’s needs.
6. How often will Social Alpha interface with the winners during the program?
There will be a regular interface between the winning cohort and the program team at Social Alpha. Each start-up will be allocated a portfolio manager to assist with customized requests. The needs of the start-up will be determined in consultation with the founders and team. This will determine the frequency of the interface.
7. Is it mandatory for the start-up to take the seed investment from Social Alpha? Is the investment guaranteed?
No, it is not mandatory to take the seed investment from Social Alpha. Only interested start-ups will be considered for investments. Further, participation in the program does not guarantee investment as approval is subject to a thorough due diligence and fitment with Social Alpha’s investment thesis.
8. Is participation in the program paid?
No, there is no fee associated with participation in the program. Selected 5 start-ups will have access to grant funding of up to INR 25 lakhs, at no cost. In case any additional support is required by the start-ups, the mode of engagement will be discussed, on a case-by-case basis.
9. How will start-ups be evaluated and selected?
Applications will be screened by Social Alpha’s team and an expert jury-led process. The criteria for evaluation include innovation, market potential, deployment feasibility in Bengaluru, team strength, and impact potential.
10. Does the start-up have to be based in Bengaluru to be selected?
No. While the program enables pilots in Bengaluru, eligible start-ups registered in India with solutions relevant to the city’s urban challenges are welcome to apply. However, the startup should indicate local execution capacity either through their own teams or partner networks for successful pilot execution in Bengaluru.
11. What commitments are expected from the selected start-ups?
Start-ups are expected to commit leadership time, resources, and technical support to ensure pilot completion and success. They will also participate actively in pitching sessions, review meetings, reporting and documentation exercises during the program period.
Terms and Conditions
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.
- The applicant’s company must be registered in India (as a private limited company, with a DPIIT Registration). The shareholding by Indian promoters in the company should be at least 51%.
- The applicant’s company must not be a part of any joint venture with external entities that may result in the loss of its DPIIT Registration and status as a start-up.
Submissions and Participation
- Submissions which are incomplete will be deemed void and disqualified from the evaluations.
- Submissions should be the original work of the participating entity, and should demonstrate positive, sustainable and scalable social and environmental impact in India (though not exclusively in the region).
- Participants agree to the use of their names, photographs, 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.
- Participants are required 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 incorporating such materials into their submissions.
- Submitted ideas are protected in the spirit of non-disclosure, and all submitted materials will be treated as company confidential. The only people with access to the entry materials will be the evaluators/judges and select members. Materials will not be distributed to any other party unless requested by a participant. No other provisions are made to protect intellectual property.
- As an effort to support the innovation ecosystem, non-sensitive data may be shared with government agencies or partner organizations, specifically in terms of creating a blueprint for the adoption of start-up led innovations by various stakeholders engaged in the program. This may also include representation on digital platforms in the ecosystem that promote innovation and entrepreneurship.
- Participants are advised not to disclose critical information which would affect a successful filing of patent(s). All presentations are open to the public, and some presentations may be videotaped. Attendance by media personnel is expected in the final round(s). Any data or information discussed or divulged in public sessions 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.
Decisions Regarding the Selection of Winners
- The selection of the ‘Winners’ is at the sole discretion of the judges and the organisers from UnboxingBLR, Social Alpha, WTFund and partnering organizations including government agencies, industry partners, and civil society organisations, where applicable. Best efforts will be made to make decisions in accordance with this document.
- Throughout any and all phases of NBC ‘26, all decisions of the judges are final.
Disqualification and Organiser’s Right to Amend Competition Rules
- The organisers of NBC ‘26 reserve the right to disqualify any Participant who is found to have violated the spirit of the programme guidelines and terms and conditions stated herein. Disqualified participants shall forfeit any and all prizes awarded to them.
- The organisers reserve the right to amend these rules at any point before the Closing Date of NBC ‘26 in line with the overall goal of the programme.
- The indicated dates for NBC ‘26 may be revised at any point in time by the Organisers. Any change in schedule will be suitably intimated on the NBC ‘26 webpage and on other relevant platforms.
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