Women have succeeded hugely in careers across various sectors including food, cosmetics, green energy, and agriculture. According to the Women in India’s Startup Ecosystem Report (WISER), women-led startups now make up 18 per cent of the country's startup landscape, a significant increase over the past five years. Praising this growth, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), noted that India, which had less than two dozen startups in 2015, now boasts over one lakh startups.
Of these, more than 600 are in the climate tech space, with a focus on green technology, renewable energy, and waste management. Impressively, over 39 per cent of these climate tech startups are led by women directors, and more than 49 per cent of them originated from tier-two and tier-three cities.
A 2020 research initiative by the Center for Climate Change Research (CCCR) in India, on behalf of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), revealed concerning trends, including a rise in surface air temperature and sea surface temperatures in the tropical Indian Ocean. But these can be mitigated to an extent, with the impactful women-led startups in India driving climate action.
1. Prachi Shevgaonkar, Cool The Globe
https://www.instagram.com/cooltheglobe_app/?ref=kHjUR2bB&hl=am-et
Prachi Shevgaonkar is a climate innovator and the brain behind Cool The Globe, an app designed to tackle climate change. Born out of a simple yet profound question – ’What can I do about climate change?’ – Cool The Globe empowers individuals to take tangible steps towards reducing their personal greenhouse gas emissions. With over 100 countries represented and an impressive two million kilograms of emissions saved to date, Prachi's initiative has garnered global recognition.
With Cool The Globe, Prachi seeks to demystify emissions reduction and empower individuals to make informed choices. The app provides users with personalised monthly targets and a comprehensive list of actionable steps to reduce their carbon footprint. From swapping car commutes for cycling to embracing energy-efficient practices at home, Cool The Globe equips users with the tools and knowledge needed to make a difference, one carbon-saving action at a time. Through her visionary leadership and unwavering dedication, Prachi Shevgaonkar leads the charge towards a greener, more sustainable future for all of us.
Cool The Globe is more than just an app; it's a movement. By seamlessly integrating climate action into everyday life, the app enables users to track and record over 100 climate-friendly actions spanning travel, home, and materials. Through the power of technology and collective action, Prachi aims to make climate action accessible, measurable, and rewarding for citizens worldwide.
Prachi's journey to becoming an eco-entrepreneur was sparked by a chance encounter with a childhood letter, igniting her passion to make a meaningful impact on carbon emissions and safeguard the planet's future. Despite familial expectations to follow a traditional engineering path, Prachi dared to pave her own course, driven by a deep-seated desire to effect change.
2. Sonal Shukla, Co-Founder & CEO - econscious
https://www.instagram.com/econscious.india/
Sonal Shukla is on a mission to revolutionise the treatment of post-consumer plastic waste by transforming it into practical, functional products through her company - econscious. Over the span of two years, she has driven the company to recycle an impressive 2,00,000 kilograms of plastic waste, all while empowering a workforce of over 20 individuals.
Sonal Shukla's vision for econscious is rooted in sustainability. The startup specialises in upcycling plastic waste from households, schools, and industries, transforming it into pots, planters, office supplies, benches, and dustbins for outdoor public spaces. These products not only divert plastic waste from landfills but also serve as unique and impactful tools for raising awareness within society.
The team at Econscious is actively engaged in workshops and seminars, working tirelessly to educate and raise awareness about the importance of eliminating plastic waste and the benefits of using upcycled products for sustainability.
In 2022, Sonal was honoured as one of India’s 75 'womenpreneurs' by the Atal Innovation Mission Official, NITI Aayog, earning her a year-long incubation for her visionary leadership. Undeterred, she further solidified her position by emerging victorious at the United Nations Development Program’s Youth Co:Lab in 2023, while econscious was also recognised as a top contender at the National Startup Awards in the same year.
3. Shivali Sugand, GreenGrahi
https://www.instagram.com/greengrahi/?hl=es
GreenGrahi biotechnology was founded in 2021 by Shivali Sugand to upcycle food residue into ingredients that can be used for animal and plant nutrition.
Founded in 2021 by Shivali Sugand, a renowned international recycling expert, GreenGrahi is committed to building a sustainable, impactful, and scalable business model by integrating technology and life sciences.
Adopting a circular approach, GreenGrahi collaborates with partner FMCG companies and agri-input suppliers to source agricultural by-products. Leveraging their proprietary technology Climate Cubes, GreenGrahi breeds and nurtures black soldier flies, repurposing low-value commodities into high-quality nutrients that enhance food production for humans. With sustainability at the forefront, the organisation strives to create a system that not only benefits the economy but also preserves the environment, drawing inspiration from nature while leveraging cutting-edge technology.
The primary objective of GreenGrahi is to offer an alternative to conventional sources of nutrition by producing premium insect-based ingredients and supplements tailored for shrimp, fish, poultry, pets, and plants. Currently, it conducts pilot projects in collaboration with leading animal and plant nutrition industries, operating a comprehensive field trials unit in Roorkee. To foster innovation in the insect industry, the founders have forged robust research and development partnerships with esteemed biotech laboratories in India, Israel, and Germany.
Since its inception, GreenGrahi has experienced rapid growth, transforming into a dynamic insect biotechnology company with a dedicated team of over 30 individuals, all united by their shared goal to unlock the potential of insects.
Headquartered in Bangalore, Karnataka, India, GreenGrahi recently secured pre-seed funding from Campus Fund, a prominent venture capital firm. This investment infusion will enable GreenGrahi to expand its production capabilities, bolster research and development initiatives, and explore new market avenues.
4. Sharayu Kulkarni Co-founder, RuKart
https://www.instagram.com/rukart_2019/
The inception of RuKart emerged from the collaborative genius of Sharayu Kulkarni and Vikash Jha, driven by a shared vision to enhance the economic viability and environmental sustainability of small-scale farming.
Sharayu envisions an agricultural ecosystem that not only thrives economically but also prioritises environmental sustainability, with the goal of reducing post-harvest losses from 30 per cent to less than 5 per cent by 2030. A key aspect of RuKart's mission is leveraging technology to empower women as entrepreneurs and change agents in the last-mile delivery of their innovative solutions. With a specific focus on the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, RuKart is committed to empowering women entrepreneurs.
Their groundbreaking creation, the Subjee Cooler, revolutionises the storage of unsold farm produce, extending their shelf life by four to six days, enabling farmers to command higher prices and turn a profit. Established in 2019, this agritech startup is dedicated to fostering economic and environmental sustainability in small-scale farming. RuKart specialises in designing, developing, and disseminating cost-effective, reliable, and scalable products aimed at reducing input costs and mitigating risks throughout the cultivation process.
(Image credit: LinkedIn, Instagram)