The Sustainability Mafia (SusMafia), a non-profit organisation working at the intersection of climate education, early-stage incubation, and ecosystem building, has received a ₹2 crore CSR grant from Zerodha, marking a significant boost to India’s climate talent and startup ecosystem.
The CSR grant will support efforts to build a skilled, climate-aware workforce and enable early-stage climate-tech startups to scale solutions across priority sustainability areas.
The funding will be deployed to strengthen programmes addressing critical gaps in India’s climate ecosystem, including the shortage of industry-ready talent, limited early-stage validation support for founders, and the need for credible platforms that connect innovators with capital, corporates, and real-world pilots.
Focus areas include air quality, water and sanitation, waste management, carbon reduction, and the circular economy.
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Over the past few years, SusMafia has built a robust climate education and incubation framework. Through its Climate Ninja programme, the organisation has trained over 400 climate professionals, while its incubation initiatives have deployed ₹1 crore in grants to support emerging climate ventures.
This ecosystem is supported by a growing network of more than 80 climate entrepreneurs working across multiple sustainability sectors.
SusMafia CSR Grant to Accelerate Climate Education and Startup Incubation
With the CSR grant, SusMafia will deepen its work in climate education, knowledge dissemination, and early-stage incubation.
Planned initiatives include structured learning programmes for students and professionals, hands-on support for early-stage climate startups, development of shared knowledge resources, and ecosystem engagements designed to foster collaboration among founders, practitioners, and institutional partners.
The proposed utilisation of funds includes training more than 300 Climate Ninjas, supporting over 20 early-stage climate startups, and convening regional and national ecosystem gatherings such as SusCrunch, which brings together stakeholders across the climate and sustainability spectrum.
Operating through a systematic approach that combines capacity building, innovation incubation, and applied learning, SusMafia works closely with climate-tech founders, students, and professionals to design, deploy, and disseminate practical solutions that deliver measurable environmental and social impact.
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Commenting on the grant, Nithin Kamath, CEO of Zerodha, said that strong climate outcomes emerge when founders, practitioners, and learners have access to the right knowledge and support early in their journey, adding that the organisation is pleased to back SusMafia’s work in building connective tissue for the climate ecosystem.
Ganesh While, Director of SusMafia, said the organisation believes sustainability scales faster when communities work together toward a shared goal. He added that the grant strengthens its ability to bring founders, talent, and partners closer, enabling deeper focus, wider reach, and greater impact.
Zerodha continues to support long-term, high-impact climate and sustainability initiatives, backing organisations focused on climate resilience, natural resource management, and ecosystem development across India.
