As India pushes to accelerate its clean energy transition, startup incubator Social Alpha has launched Techtonic: Innovations in Clean Energy, a new acceleration programme aimed at supporting science-led startups developing technologies to address the country’s evolving energy needs, according to an official statement.
The 12-month programme will provide grant funding, venture development support, pilot opportunities, market linkages and seed investment opportunities, subject to due diligence. Social Alpha said the initiative is designed to help startups improve energy productivity, lower costs and accelerate the adoption of clean technologies.
“The clean energy transition is more than an environmental imperative, it is an opportunity to strengthen energy security, drive economic growth, and establish India’s leadership in the technologies of the future,” Deepak Bagla, Mission Director, Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog said.
The programme is open to startups across different stages of development. Early-stage ventures at the research and development stage (TRL 3-4) can receive incubation support of up to Rs 10 lakh to advance prototype development. Growth-stage startups (TRL 7-9) can receive grants of up to Rs 60 lakh to support commercial deployment, expansion into new markets and business scale-up, according to the company.
The programme will support startups working in three areas – energy access, energy storage and energy efficiency. These include technologies such as biomass and biogas solutions, decentralised renewable energy systems, alternative battery chemistries, long-duration energy storage, next-generation cooling technologies and energy-efficient industrial solutions.
“Building science-led ventures requires more than capital. Entrepreneurs developing deep-science innovations need access to infrastructure, expertise, deployment opportunities and market linkages to successfully navigate the journey from lab validation to adoption,” Manoj Kumar, Founder, Social Alpha, said.
Applications for the programme will remain open until August 21, 2026, with selected startups expected to begin the acceleration programme after the final cohort is announced in September 2026.
