GigaWhat: Fuelling startups

GigaWhat: Fuelling startups

Author: Mongabay.com November 30, 2022 Duration: 20:18

India has an ambitious clean energy target that needs technology and innovation. While government and private sectors have their role to play, startups are critical for innovation and faster execution. They identify local, national and global problems, find opportunities and develop solutions.

India is home to the third-largest startup ecosystem, with about 57,000 startups. A fraction of this number is working in sustainability and solving climate change issues. Worldwide, it's noted that the number of government policy measures to help startups get new clean energy technologies to the market, has risen sharply since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015.

From bringing solar power-based products to provide job opportunities in rural India, to companies innovating to increase the life of batteries, startups are addressing various needs of the different stages in the renewable energy journey.

But are they enough ideas? Enough startups? And enough support for such startups?

And more importantly, is there money to be made? Is there money to invest?

In this episode, we will speak to stakeholders involved in a startup's journey to success. A co-founder, an investor and an incubator.

Listen to GigaWhat and explore some of the biggest questions, challenges, and opportunities in India's transition from fossil fuels to clean energy sources.

Guests:

Pankaj Sharma , co-Founder, Log 9 Materials

Smita Rakesh, Vice President and Partner at Social Alpha

Arpit Agarwal, Director, Blume Ventures              

Credits:

Hosted by Mayank Aggarwal

Produced and scripted by Kartik Chandramouli.

Edited and mixed by Tejas Dayananda Sagar

Copy edits by Priyanka Shankar

Episode artwork is by Pooja Gupta


From the team at Mongabay.com comes Everything Environment by Mongabay India, a podcast that digs into the complex and often overlooked stories shaping India's natural world. This isn't just about headlines; it's about connecting the dots between biodiversity, climate change, and the natural resources that underpin daily life across the subcontinent. Each episode is a deep dive, whether it's examining the real-world impacts of the country's clean energy transition, uncovering lessons from ancient paleoscience, or giving a voice to lesser-known species fighting for survival. The conversations move beyond abstract problems to focus on tangible solutions and the people on the front lines. By weaving science and news into compelling narrative, this podcast places environmental discussions exactly where they belong: central to our understanding of India's present and future. You'll hear clear analysis and on-the-ground reporting that makes intricate topics accessible, fostering a deeper appreciation for the interconnectedness of ecology, policy, and community. For anyone curious about the forces shaping our environment, this series offers essential listening.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 28

Everything Environment by Mongabay India
Podcast Episodes
GigaWhat: Creating rural jobs with renewables [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:07
Lack of energy access limits the rural economy. But reliable electricity creates an infrastructure for rural entrepreneurs and gives people a chance to work on their aspirations. In rural India, decentralised renewable e…
GigaWhat: Clean-washing by dams? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:09
Hydropower has been an old and reliable source of energy in India. Until a few years ago, India considered a hydropower project renewable only when the installed capacity was less than 25 megawatt (MW). But then, in 2019…
GigaWhat: Farms harvest solar energy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:19
What are the high hurdles for India to uplift its people and realise its potential on the world stage? Two of the most significant ones are securing food for its large population and providing enough energy to power home…
GigaWhat: Renewables go reckless [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:13
The loss of biodiversity, the sixth mass extinction, high chances that you would have heard these terms. It's clear what pushed us into this situation - overexploitation of natural resources, pollution, the way we farm,…
GigaWhat: Renewable energy, limited land [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:34
Let's visualise the sheer expanse of one of India's largest solar parks, the Pavagada Solar Park in Karnataka. An aerial view of the site shows a never-ending sea of glass panels and wires spread across 13,000 acres. Tha…
GigaWhat: Clean Waste [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:07
The world is looking towards the sun, wind, and other alternatives for energy, and so is India, as a way to tackle climate change and other environmental issues. The sight of solar and wind farms, rooftops lined with sol…
GigaWhat Trailer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:28
GigaWhat will explore some of the biggest questions, challenges, and opportunities in India's transition from fossil fuels to clean energy sources. As countries commit to cutting their carbon emissions to tackle climate…