SusMafia’s New Map Offers 25 Startup Opportunities To Cut 72% Carbon  Emissions

Bengaluru-based Sustainability Mafia (SusMafia), a leading nonprofit community of over 100 climate-tech leaders, on Tuesday, said that it has launched India’s first-ever Climate-Tech Opportunity Map, a bold new initiative that features startup-ready ideas which could collectively reduce up to 72% of the country’s carbon emissions.

The Opportunity Map calls on early-stage entrepreneurs to act on India’s most urgent climate challenges - with clarity, confidence, and the backing of a growing ecosystem. It has been developed as part of SusMafia’s ongoing efforts to support climate founders through SusVentures, its flagship program that helps early-stage entrepreneurs move from idea to action.

“SusVentures was built to back bold climate builders to help them build conviction and increase their chances of success,” said Aneesa Patel, co-founder of SusVentures.

Co-founded by Arjun P Gupta (Smart Joules) and Aditya Bhat (AirProbe), SusVentures is a launchpad shaped by real operators who have built in climate.

She added, "we support early teams to validate their ideas, move faster to market, and access a trusted network of climate mentors, investors, and pilot partners. If this report sparks your next move, we’re here to help you build it right, from day one.”

The report also serves as a valuable resource for investors, accelerators, and policy enablers seeking high-impact, scalable innovations rooted in real market needs.

Co-authored by Bharti Singhla (Principal at Momentum Capital) and Paridhi Mishra (Program Head at Climate Corps), the report focuses on high-impact sectors such as energy, industry, agriculture, and water. Each opportunity has been shaped through deep collaboration with climate founders, funders, and domain experts across the SusMafia network.

“India needs climate startups focused on the right problem statements and fast to meet the scale of the crisis. We also want the investors and corporates to fund tough climate problems,” said Bharti and Paridhi. “But many aspiring founders are often stuck at square one, unsure of where or how to begin and with limited access to the customers’ true pain points. This map surfaces urgent, unsolved challenges and connects them to a living ecosystem.”

The 25 challenges included in the report were shortlisted through a careful process that combined emissions mapping, expert validation, and on-ground insights, with a strong focus on: Large-scale climate or social relevance, Fast-growing or underserved markets and Clear white spaces where scalable solutions are still missing.

This initiative is being driven by a team that includes strong women climate leaders, a reflection of the growing momentum and support system for underrepresented voices in the sector. Today, only ~13% of clean energy entrepreneurs in India are women, despite climate change disproportionately affecting women in sectors like agriculture, water, and health. The team hopes this report inspires many more aspiring entrepreneurs, especially women, to take the leap.