India’s construction and demolition activities produce an estimated 150 to 200 million tonnes of waste every year.
The buildings and construction sector accounts for nearly 16% of India’s total greenhouse gas emissions, making it a major contributor to the climate crisis.
Thirteen of the world’s twenty most polluted cities are in India, and over one-third of Indian cities record PM2.5 concentrations ten times higher than the WHO’s safe limit.
Wastewater volumes in Indian cities are expected to rise by up to 80% in the next 25 years, requiring a 3.5 times expansion in treatment capacity.
OVERVIEW
India is on the cusp of a massive demographic shift with half its population projected to live in cities by 2050. This urban expansion brings with it a sharp rise in per capita emissions, nearly two-thirds higher than in rural areas. As urban centres evolve into economic powerhouses, they are also emerging as critical zones for climate action.
Recognising this, the Innovations in Sustainable Urban Transition initiative was launched in August 2024 by Social Alpha and the U of T India Foundation. In its first year, it facilitated 22 deployments across 11 cities, led by 11 startups in collaboration with public agencies, academic institutions, civil society, and industry. These interventions spanned diverse domains—from green building materials and clean mobility to water infrastructure, energy efficiency and air quality.
Now entering its second edition, the initiative continues to foster mission-driven collaborations that enable scalable, tech-enabled climate solutions tailored to India’s diverse urban contexts.
Focus Areas
Build
As India’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 counter this environmental strain, the sector needs transformative solutions that drive efficiency, minimise waste, and reduce dependency on conventional, resource-intensive materials, 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.
Operate
India’s booming real estate sector is driving a parallel surge in energy needs. Addressing this demand calls for forward-thinking approaches—leveraging alternative and optimised energy sources that deliver on performance, cost-efficiency, and sustainability.
Emerging innovations in this domain can include, but are not limited to:
- Efficient heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems that address the needs of Indian climatic zones and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Renewable energy systems that provide reliable access to electricity while enabling cost competitiveness and facilitating adoption.
- Decentralised biogas production that enables high performance and resource recovery.
- Cost-effective and safe energy storage solutions that reduce/eliminate dependence on legacy fossil fuel-based and toxic systems that integrate seamlessly with renewable energy sources, enhance grid flexibility, and enable resilience.
Every person in India is currently breathing air that contains PM2.5 concentrations above the World Health Organization’s safe annual average of 5 µg/m³. Alarmingly, more than 81% of the population resides in areas where pollution levels exceed the national threshold of 40 µg/m³. India ranks among the countries with the poorest access to clean air posing a severe and sustained public health risk.
Long-term exposure to such levels of pollution could reduce the average Indian's life expectancy by as much as 5.3 years. Addressing this crisis calls for a broad spectrum of interventions to mitigate health impacts and improve air quality across regions. Potential solutions include, but are not limited to:
- Low-cost, energy-efficient air purification systems with components that require minimal maintenance and replacement.
As urban areas 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 achieve this, it is vital to develop solutions that tackle systemic challenges such as scarcity, aging, or inadequate infrastructure, and gaps in operations and maintenance, which include but are not limited to:
Drinking Water
- Atmospheric water generators, desalinators (energy and cost-efficient) 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.
Stormwater Management & Municipal Sewage
- 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.
Urban Water Bodies
- Operations & maintenance-related systems to enable hyacinth control and silt remediation and manage water quality (impacted by liquid and solid waste) in water bodies.
Dispose
India’s cities are expected to generate 435 million tonnes of waste per year by 2050, underscoring an urgent need for transformative waste management systems. Current disposal practices, ranging from uncontrolled dumping and landfill use to open burning, pose significant threats to public health and ecosystems.
Addressing this challenge calls for innovations that track waste across its lifecycle, curb unnecessary consumption, and unlock value through reuse and recycling.
Interventions may 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.
Mobility
As India accelerates toward urbanisation and embraces electric mobility to reduce emissions from road transport, the demand for accessible, efficient, and affordable infrastructure is more urgent than ever. With vehicle ownership projected to nearly double from 163 vehicles per 1,000 people in 2023 to 309 by 2050, scaling EV adoption cannot happen in isolation. It requires a robust ecosystem of enabling technologies and infrastructure that can keep pace with this growth.
Solutions include but are not limited to:
- Technologies to enable traffic management, road traffic, and maintenance.
- Micro and last-mile mobility solutions that can help reduce traffic congestion in tier 1 cities.
- Powertrain and EV components to accelerate the adoption and efficiency of electric vehicles.
- Ultra-fast charging and charging infrastructure.
Program Offerings
Important Dates
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Applications Open
21st August, 2025
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Application Deadline
20th September, 2025
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Evaluation of Applications
21st September, 2025 – 8th October, 2025
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Jury Round
October, 2025
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Announcement of Winners
October, 2025
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Program Implementation
November, 2025 Onwards