Cummins CSR Grant for Climate & Sustainability Tech , Venture Center

• Indian startups at idea or product stage building cleantech or deeptech solutions.

About this scheme

Venture Center has announced a Call for Applications for the Cummins CSR Grant , a grant of up to Rs. 20 lakh for early-stage technology entrepreneurs and startups working on environmental sustainability and climate change solutions. The grant supports pilot trials, field testing, technology implementation, proof-of-concept development, and prototyping efforts in clean energy and sustainability domains.

The grant is funded through Cummins India's corporate social responsibility programme and administered by Venture Center, a CSIR-NCL incubator based in Pune with a long track record of supporting science and technology-based startups. Cummins India's focus on sustainable power solutions makes this CSR grant particularly oriented toward real-world deployment and validation of clean technology innovations , the grant is specifically designed to fund the last-mile implementation and field testing stage, not just desktop R&D.

Eligible domains include energy efficiency, renewable and alternative energy, air pollution solutions, provisions for clean drinking water, waste-to-value and waste management, circular economy innovations, biomass utilisation, and carbon capture and utilisation. This covers a broad range of hardware and software solutions across the energy and environment stack , from solar and bioenergy technologies to industrial pollution control, water treatment, and carbon management platforms.

Venture Center's institutional infrastructure at NCL Innovation Park, Pune provides grantees with access to laboratory facilities, technical expertise from CSIR-NCL scientists, and a network of clean energy and sustainability startups. For early-stage climate tech founders looking to move from prototype to field-validated solution, this grant provides both the capital and the institutional support to do so.

Who can apply

• Early-stage technology entrepreneurs and startups working on environmental sustainability and climate change solutions
• Must be focused on one or more eligible domains: energy efficiency, renewable/alternative energy, air pollution, clean drinking water, waste-to-value, waste management, circular economy, biomass utilisation, or carbon capture and utilisation
• Grant funds pilot trials, field testing, technology implementation, POC development, or prototyping , the solution should be at a stage where it can be tested or deployed in a real-world setting
• Incorporated startups preferred; check Venture Center's eligibility criteria for full details

Benefits & funding

• Selected startups receive a CSR grant of up to Rs.
• 20 lakh to fund pilot trials, field testing, technology implementation, or prototyping in environmental sustainability and climate change domains.
• The grant is administered by Venture Center and funded through Cummins India's CSR programme.

How the application process works

The journey below is informational, compiled from the official program guidelines. Applications are submitted directly with Venture Center, in your own name.

1. 1

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Frequently asked questions