As a part of its Sustainability Incubation Program, Alstom India has awarded a grant of Rs. 1.5 crore to 10 startups that developed solutions in the areas of clean energy, shared mobility and multi modal solutions. Accelerated by NSRCEL-IIMB (NS Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning), the selected startups will be able to use the grant funds to develop and deploy their solutions.
Olivier Loison, Managing Director, Alstom India commented, "Our contribution to sustainability is closely tied to the business we are in, which also makes it critical for us to take the lead in building and supporting the ecosystem we operate in. While we are bringing our vision of sustainable mobility to life through our business, we have also committed to make active social investments to nurture startups who share our vision."
The incubation program itself has brought a host of partners across research and engineering, policy and market. Through a combination of capacity and capability building, exposure to complementary partnerships, and funding; the program will help sharpen business and technology roadmaps of each venture, putting them on a path to scale.
Anand Sri Ganesh, COO, NSRCEL, IIM Bangalore, said, "The climate and sustainability spaces are still emerging. Knowledge networks, business models, funding, and policy environment - all of these are still weakly defined. Yet we are staring at a crisis in climate change. At NSRCEL we are committed to injecting innovation to solve for these priorities at scale, through the lens of entrepreneurship."
An expert jury screened over 200 applications and selected 20 startups for the incubation program. Of these, the following 10 startups have been selected for the grant support:
MetroRide- An electric mobility platform working to make public transport "Accessible & Seamless by building the world's largest digital platform for public transport, bridging the gap of last mile connectivity to transit hubs. It has served over 800,000 rides and saved 5,00,000+ Kg of CO2 emissions using their electric-only fleet, while also reducing customers' spent by over 50 per cent and wait times by over 80 per cent.
Evoride Motors Private Limited- A company dedicated to creating environmentally friendly electric 2-wheeler mobility solutions using cutting-edge swappable battery architecture. The company's micro-manufacturing approach and supply chain enable them to provide unique and innovative solutions for customers and workforces in tier 2 and tier 3 regions.
Volar Alta C/o Drone Tech Solutions - A drone-based industrial inspection service provider for confined spaces. It specializes in the inspection of critical industrial assets such as boilers, storage tanks, towers chimneys, etc. It has achieved 96 per cent time saving and 86 per cent cost saving for clients in inspection operations while making it 100 per cent safe for their workforce. They plan to become a leading inspection service providers globally.
Epick Bikes- an affiliated brand under Centaur, offering a range of electric bicycles that cater to individuals, business owners, and fleet operators. It provides reliable, upgradable, and high-quality products, creating an impact in adopting electric bicycles for micro-mobility, which caters to nearly 60 per cent of our overall transportation needs.
ChargeEZ- an EV park and charge platform on a mission to make EV charging easy, ubiquitous, and reliable for consumers and fleet owners. They are building the largest destination charging network in the country which has resulted in higher EV adoption and reduced CO2 emissions.
The Energy Company- A deep-tech startup dedicated to helping mobility users adopt Electric vehicles by providing faster, cheaper, and reliable batteries. It promotes a circular economy, unlocking new possibilities for a greener future by providing valuable insights on batteries to financiers, vehicle OEMs, and second-lie buyers through their cloud-based platform.
Green Tiger Mobility Private Limited- Addressing a pressing question of today's mobility space: whether to choose EV or petrol, Green Tiger is helping in reduction of upto 1.5 tons of CO2 per rider and is ensuring the enhanced life of the vehicle. With its patented dual powertrain technology for 2Ws it meets the UN's SDG goals by focusing on reduce and reuse as well.
TrackNerd GPS Pvt. Ltd.- As one of the fastest-growing IoT-enabled fleet management telematics startup in India, it aims to bridge information gap between fleets and their owners. TrackNerd GPS Pvt. Ltd. has catered to EV fleets, saved 222 tons of CO2 emissions, partnered with many such clients, and helped save Rs. 10 crore worth of fuel through their fuel monitoring services since inception.
Tadpole Projects- It aims to provide affordable clean energy conveyance solutions to the masses, with a focus on waste management and power efficiency. Tadpole Project Pvt. Ltd. has successfully converted 25 vehicles to vintage, premium Gypsy for the Indian army, and electric cranes, resulting in reduction of 3.5g/km per vehicle in carbon emissions and fuel savings of Rs. 24,000 every day and 8.6 crore for the year, while also reviving the worthiness of vintage vehicles and reducing scrap.
Swytchd- The company offers an all-inclusive electric vehicle subscription, allowing customers to get into an EV without large upfront costs and long-term commitments, save fuel, money, and remove CO2 from the environment, while also making no noise. The subscription includes insurance, servicing, breakdown assistance, and free public network charging, all within a one-month commitment, requiring no deposit.