Last month during the National Conference on Skill Development for the Renewable Energy Workforce MNRE, Government of India, launched the Innovative Projects Start-Up Challenge on Rooftop Solar (RTS) and Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE) Technologies. According to me, it’s a prudent step to involve and encourage the renewable energy enthusiasts, developers and investors.
Through this unique national innovation challenge, the government aims to identify and support breakthrough solutions for India’s rooftop solar and distributed energy ecosystem. The programme is being implemented under the aegis of MNRE with support from the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), and in coordination with StartUp India, DPIIT.
For information of all concerned, I mention here that the Start-Up Challenge seeks applications from innovators and startups in India, focusing on four key categories to boost renewable energy adoption, namely: i) Affordability – Making rooftop solar affordable for low- and middle-income households using innovative financing, modular systems, and circular economy strategies; ii) Resilience – Enhancing climate resilience, grid stability, and cybersecurity in solar infrastructure, especially for vulnerable and remote areas; iii) Inclusivity – Expanding access to underserved communities through community solar, virtual net metering, and inclusive financing models; and iv) Environmental Sustainability – Promoting eco-friendly technologies such as solar panel recycling, land-neutral solar deployment, and hybrid clean energy models.
The challenge welcomes a wide range of startups in green tech, IoT, AI, blockchain, construction, energy hardware, fintech, and waste management. The selected innovators will compete for a total prize pool of `2.3 crore. Winners will also gain incubation and other types of support facilitated by MNRE and NISE. If you are interested, please visit: http://bit.ly/44NNytP.
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