Mumbai Climate Week (MCW), scheduled for February 23-26, 2027, marks India’s first platform dedicated to accelerating climate action, empowering Mumbai, India, and the Global South to develop transformative, citizen-driven climate action. This landmark initiative reimagines critical climate solutions as interconnected, scalable innovations rooted in the complex dynamics of the Global South region and its economies.
Mumbai Climate Week
Innovation Challenge
A dual-track initiative by Mumbai Climate Week, empowering innovators and young changemakers across Food Systems, Urban Resilience, Energy Transition, Circularity, and Biodiversity.
Overview
The Mumbai Climate Week (MCW) Innovation Challenge invites early-stage, growth-ready, and sector-focused innovators from startups, civil society, academia, and the wider climate ecosystem to showcase breakthrough solutions across Food Systems, Urban Resilience, Energy Transition, Circularity and Biodiversity. Complementing this, the Youth Green Innovation Challenge empowers young changemakers (16–24) to imagine and advance bold climate ideas that shape a resilient and future-ready world.
MCW Innovation Challenge
- The MCW Innovation Challenge invites growth-ready innovators to present climate solutions that strengthen Food Systems, Urban Resilience, Energy Transition, Circularity and Biodiversity.
- Open to established startups, social enterprises, NGOs, and academic or community-led teams.
- Designed for solutions that are beyond the idea stage and ready for real-world impact.
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MCW Innovation Challenge
Eligibility requirements
- Legally registered organisation — Any recognised legal entity (India or international).
- Minimum 2 years of operations — You must have at least 2 years of active work in your focus area.
- Turnover or impact threshold — For-profits: minimum INR 50 lakhs / USD 50,000 and maximum INR 25 Cr / USD 2.5M (FY 2023–24). Non-profits / academic / community groups: minimum 500 beneficiaries / 100 households or a tested pilot with measurable outcomes.
- Solution readiness — Innovation must be beyond idea stage; prototype tested or pilot completed/underway.
- Thematic alignment (mandatory) — Solution must directly address one MCW theme: Food Systems, Urban Resilience, Energy Transition, Circularity and Biodiversity.
- Geographic relevance — Solutions must demonstrate applicability to Indian and Global South contexts, even if the organisation is international.
- Complete application — All required fields, data points, and documents must be submitted to qualify.
Not eligible
- Idea-stage concepts (not beyond idea stage)
- Organisations with less than 2 years of operations
- Solutions not connected to the three MCW themes
- Organisations with annual turnover below INR 50 lakhs / USD 50,000 or above INR 25 Cr / USD 2.5M
- Non-profits with fewer than 500 beneficiaries or fewer than 100 households
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MCW Innovation Challenge
1. Apply
Submit a short application and innovation overview to enter the competition.
2. Pitch(virtual)
Top 300 pitch virtually in regional sessions. Top 60 candidates advance to the jury round.
3. Jury Round (In-person)
The Top 60 pitch their ideas to our expert panel. The Top 30 teams become official finalists.
4. Mentorship & Bootcamp
Finalists receive focused coaching to sharpen their pitch, impact case, and scale plan.
5.Showcase (MCW 2027)
Finalists present on the main MCW stage. Winners are announced and connections are made.
6.Investment & Scale
Connect with investors, receive seed funding, and launch global expansion plan.
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To be released soon
Rewards and Recognition
Public Market Exposure – Facilitated by NSE
Winners will receive curated exposure to India’s public market ecosystem, gaining insights into how climate-positive enterprises can scale through public listing pathways on the Main Board and SME Emerge platforms. This will include:
- Live IPO Listing Ceremonies: Invitations as special guests to two Main Board IPO listings and three SME Emerge IPO listings, with opportunities to witness the opening bell and engage with merchant bankers, legal advisors, registrars, and exchange leadership.
- Capital Ecosystem Networking: Structured interactions with merchant bankers, wealth managers, ESG investors, impact funders, exchange officials, and industry experts on IPO readiness, governance frameworks, and investor relations.
Innovation & Venture Support – Powered by Social Alpha
Selected winners and high-potential finalists will be eligible for support from Social Alpha, the Innovation Partner for Mumbai Climate Week, subject to evaluation and due diligence. Support may include:
- Non-dilutive Grants: INR 25 lakhs to INR 2.5 crores, based on solution maturity, relevance, and alignment with Social Alpha’s deployment programs.
- Seed Capital: INR 50 lakhs to INR 3 crores, subject to due diligence, thesis fit, investment terms, and eligibility criteria.
Both funding options include full-stack incubation and venture development support, covering market access, technology validation, ecosystem partnerships, regulatory navigation, and impact assessment. Finalists and winners will also gain access to Social Alpha’s network of investors, corporate partners, philanthropic funders, and deployment collaborators.
Eligibility Note: Financial support (grant or equity) is applicable only to India-registered entities due to compliance and taxation requirements. International solutions may participate, be showcased, and receive non-financial support such as mentorship and partnerships.
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MCW Innovation Challenge
- What is the Mumbai Climate Week Innovation Challenge?
A platform to identify, support, and showcase climate-positive innovations that address urban resilience, mitigation, adaptation, and inclusion, with a focus on scalable solutions relevant to India and the Global South. - What are the relevant themes/ areas of focus?
For the inaugural edition of Mumbai Climate Week, the relevant themes are Food Systems, Urban Resilience, Energy Transition, Circularity and Biodiversity. The solution must mandatorily address directly, at least one of these themes. - Do applicants need to be legally incorporated?
Yes, applicants need to be legally incorporated, either in India or internationally. The applicant may be incorporated either as a public or private limited company, partnership firm or a non-profit, as per the country-specific regulations. - Are there any mandatory scale-related criteria to be met?
- For-profit enterprises are required to have a minimum annual turnover of INR 50 lakhs/ USD 50,000 in FY 2023-24 (period of April 2023-March 2024). During the same period (April 2023-March 2024), turnover must not be greater than INR 25 crore/ USD 2.5 million to be eligible.
- Not-for-profit enterprises (including academics and community groups) are required to have a minimum of 500 individual beneficiaries annually/ 100 households annually. A tested pilot with measurable outcomes which may not meet the minimum number of beneficiaries will also be considered.
- Are idea-stage solutions eligible?
No, idea-stage solutions are ineligible for the MCW Innovations challenge track. At minimum, the prototype testing must be completed, or a pilot must be underway/ completed. Additionally, the applicant must have completed 2+ years of active work in the area of focus, fulfilling the scale-related criteria. - Are international organizations eligible to apply?
Yes, internationally incorporated companies, partnership entities and non-profits are all eligible to apply. International community-led and academic-led teams are also eligible to apply. There must, however, be a demonstrated applicability of the innovation within the context of the Global South. - Are community-led or academic-led organizations eligible to apply?
Both Indian and International community-led and academic-led organizations are eligible to apply. There must be a demonstrated applicability of the innovation within the context of the Global South. - Can the MCW Innovations Challenge lead to funding or investment?
Winners and shortlisted participants will gain enhanced visibility through NSE-supported platforms and access to MCW’s curated Investor “Speed-Seeding” sessions, and therefore possibility of funding exists.
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FAQS
General Information
How can I get in touch or learn more about Mumbai Climate Week?
For general questions, partnerships, or to learn more about Mumbai Climate Week, please feel free to write to team@mumbaiclimateweek.com.
When will the next edition of Mumbai Climate Week take place?
Mumbai Climate Week 2027 will be held from 23rd – 26th February, 2027. Details for the 2027 edition will be announced soon, including programming and participation opportunities.
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