New Delhi, 24 March 2025: Mosambi Climate Conference concluded in New Delhi with more than 200 Climate thought leaders from investment firms, development institutions, corporations, government agencies, and foundations committing to strengthen the climate tech startup ecosystem in India and the Global South.
The Mosambi Climate Conference (MC2) aimed to catalyze innovation in climate mitigation and adaptation solutions in India, and the Global South. Hosted by the Climate Collective Foundation, MC2 took place on March 20-21, 2025, at the Sheraton, Saket, New Delhi.
Inaugurating the MC2 event Nalin Agarwal, Founding Partner, Climate Collective said, “The climate crisis requires collective action. No single entity can solve it alone. We must break down silos and avoid duplicating efforts; instead, drive concrete actions toward clear outcomes. By strengthening South-South cooperation and creating conditions for a robust climate tech startup ecosystem, we can rapidly scale innovation and climate impact across the Global South.”
Keynote Addresses: Visionary Insights for a Resilient Future
The conference kicked off with a powerful keynote by Mr. Saurabh Kumar, Vice President - India at GEAPP, who emphasized the urgent need for power-grid transformation. A clean tech pioneer himself, Mr Kumar shared his vision for a digitalised grid supercharged by the digital public infrastructure (DPI) principles – all towards enhanced grid modernisation and resilience.
Later in day 1, Mr. Uday Khemka (Vice Chairman at SUN Group & a Managing Trustee at the Nand & Jeet Khemka Foundation), a renowned proponent of climate action for over 3 decades, delivered an inspiring keynote – with his vision for how AI can accelerate climate tech development. His latest initiative, called the Green AI for Learning (GRAIL) network aims to bring together AI and climate practitioners to drive ClimateAI rapidly.
The second day also featured a visionary address by Mirik Gogri, Principal at Spectrum Impact, who shared his personal story of what inspired him to spend his time tacking the climate crisis, as well as his vision of collaboration rooted in transparency - towards dynamically aligning the interests of partners in multi-stakeholder coalitions.
Pratap Raju, Founding Partner, Climate Collective, added, “We've seen an explosion of innovative solutions, but deploying and scaling them is crucial. The startup process is difficult, requiring collaboration and support in areas like capacity training, fundraising, and policy research. The Mosambi Conference brings together stakeholders and enablers to facilitate collaboration and collective action. By connecting with each other, we can better address the climate crisis, particularly in the Global South.”
Panels and Discussions: Unpacking Critical Themes
MC2 hosted a series of insightful panels that delved into diverse yet interconnected topics:
- Can AI Save the Planet? Digging Deeper into the Potential of AI Technologies
This session explored how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are revolutionizing climate mitigation and adaptation efforts. Speakers like Ruchira Shukla, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Synapses, and Sundeep Reddy Mallu, Co-Founder & CRO at Resilience AI, highlighted real-world applications of AI in sectors ranging from agriculture to disaster management.
- Why Gender Equity Matters in Climate Tech—and How to Make It Happen
This panel brought together voices like Alexandra Khripko, Ecosystem Partnerships Manager at Third Derivative (RMI), and Sonal Shukla, Co-founder at econscious, to discuss frameworks for embedding gender equity in scaling climate solutions.
- India’s Potential in Deep Climate Tech: Where Do We Have the Edge?
Featuring speakers from IIT Madras Research Park, Third Derivative and Ankur Capital, this session identified areas where Indian startups have natural advantages, such as robust talent pools and market opportunities.
- Launch of the South-South Collective for the Climate (S2C2)
One of the highlights of MC2 was the launch of the South-South Collective for the Climate, a curated network of Enterprise Support Organizations (ESOs) fostering cross-border collaboration. Key contributors included leaders from Youthinkgreen Egypt, CleantechHUB Foundation, Climate Ventures, New Energy Nexus Vietnam, Emerging Technologies, Indian Ocean Islands Foundation, Kenya Climate Innovation Center and Climate Collective. They emphasized the collective’s role in streamlining research, fundraising, and knowledge-sharing efforts.
The event also featured roundtables designed to bring together leaders from leading organizations to anchor and guide discussions on topics of strategic importance. These diverse stakeholders discussed domain-specific challenges, opportunities, and growth strategies. The various roundtables were anchored by industry leaders, including Chetan Krishna, Head of Research & Diligence/Principal, Third Derivative; Swapan Mehra, Founder, Iora Ecological Solutions, Circular Economy; Jasprit Kaur, Climate Change Advisor, GIZ; and Amandeep Singh, Senior Analyst, Climate Policy Initiative, and others.
Fireside Chat: Startup Pavilion at COP30
In a candid fireside chat, Kapil Narula, Senior Analyst at Climate Champions Team, and Gustavo Pinheiro, Board Member at Climate Ventures, discussed the pivotal role of startups at COP30. They outlined strategies for leveraging international platforms to scale impactful solutions and influence global policy.
Highlighting the importance of collaboration in climate action, Jui Joshi, Senior Partner, Climate Collective, said, "Effective climate action requires collaboration and an ecosystem-driven approach. Our diverse network spans global and regional organizations, philanthropic and impact investment entities, multilateral institutions, and academic research institutions. We believe transformative climate solutions emerge when knowledge is shared, and innovation is democratized."
Key Takeaways: Charting the Path Forward
MC2 concluded with several actionable insights and key announcements:
Empowering Local Innovators: The Global South is home to immense untapped potential, but fragmented networks and funding challenges remain significant barriers. Strengthening local ecosystems is critical for driving innovation.
- Policy Reforms for Grid Modernization: Regulatory frameworks must evolve to accommodate decentralized energy systems and integrate renewable technologies into grids.
- Blended Finance Models: Innovative financing mechanisms, such as blended finance and green bonds, can unlock billions in untapped capital for climate tech startups.
- The Role of Technology in Climate Action: From AI-powered risk management tools to blockchain-enabled carbon tracking systems, technology emerged as a game-changer in addressing complex climate challenges.
- Women-Led Solutions: Women entrepreneurs play a pivotal role in addressing climate challenges, yet they face systemic barriers to entry. Targeted support and mentorship programs are needed to close the gender gap in climate innovation.
- India’s Leadership in Deep Climate Tech: With its vast talent pool and growing startup ecosystem, India is poised to lead in areas like renewable energy, materials, carbon capture and green hydrogen.
- South-South Cooperation for Scalable Solutions: The launch of S2C2 marked a significant step toward enhancing collaboration among countries in the Global South, ensuring shared resources and institutional knowledge drive greater impact.
- Startups as Drivers of Policy Change: Startups were encouraged to engage actively with policymakers and leverage global platforms like COP30 to amplify their voices and influence agendas.
Aiming to draw insights from industry experts, accelerate climate action, and identify areas where Indian startups can gain natural advantages, the event saw session partnerships from leading organizations such as Capital-A, Waterfield, Prime, and Third Derivative. The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), Environmental Defence Fund, and SED Fund served as Knowledge Partners, and Challenge for Green served as an Offset Partner at the event. The event further benefited from partnerships with The Statesman as a media partner, Jagran as a digital media partner, The CSR Universe as a sustainability media partner, Observe Now as a B2B media partner, and TICE as a startup media partner.
As the curtain falls on MC2, organizers are already planning follow-up initiatives to sustain momentum. These include region-wide convenings, as well as the upcoming Climate Startup Week. MC2 itself will return in 2026.
By fostering a space for diverse perspectives to meet, and conscious time set aside for deep conversations, the MC2 conference has set a precedent for future initiatives to spur sustained collaboration.
Since 2016, the Climate Collective Foundation (CCF) has been at the forefront of building the climate tech startup ecosystem in the Global South. With over 1,067 startups accelerated across 90 programs, CCF has established itself as the largest climate tech accelerator in the region. It also hosts Climate Startup Week, the largest climate tech convening in Asia, drawing over 6,000 attendees since 2020.
