National, 13 June 2025: The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) today launched a national initiative CII-ASCEND: Activate Startups in CleanTech to Strategize, Execute, Navigate & Deploy. It serves as a platform for driving cleantech innovation through collaboration and bringing together all stakeholders – innovators, industry leaders, incubators & accelerators, investors, and ecosystem enablers to collectively accelerate the adoption of clean technologies in the Indian Industry. The initiative was formally launched by Shri D. Sridhar Babu, Hon’ble Minister for Information Technology, Electronics & Communications;
The 1st edition of the CII-ASCEND Innovation Challenge is being rolled out with from the Sustainability, Equity and Diversity Fund (SED). It offers a unique opportunity for cleantech innovators to gain national visibility, industry validation, and critical deployment for real-world pilots.
The challenge is open to Indian CleanTech startups, technology providers, public R&D labs, technical institutes, universities, MSMEs, and government-d research centres working on transformative clean technologies. Solutions must be at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5–7 and demonstrate strong potential for scale, with no adverse environmental or safety impacts.
The challenge now invites applications across a wide spectrum of clean technology domains that can drive sustainability in Indian industry. Priority thematic areas include energy efficiency, water management, waste management, renewable energy, IoT solutions, resource efficiency, decarbonization solutions, energy storage, green hydrogen, electric vehicles & infrastructure, circular economy, low carbon materials and many more.
Why Participate?
Selected innovators will receive access to a robust ecosystem, including:
- Financial of up to USD 30,000 for pilot deployment
- Direct market access through CII’s extensive industry network, events, and curated matchmaking
- Mentorship from leading experts in technology, business strategy, and sustainability
- Monitoring & Verification to validate the efficacy of the solutions
- Pilot implementation opportunities in one or more industrial site
- Engagement with investors and policymakers to long-term growth and commercialization.
The CII-ASCEND is designed to bridge the crucial gap between innovation and industrial deployment, accelerating India’s transition to a low-carbon, resource-efficient, and globally competitive industrial economy.
Key Milestones:
- Launch of 1st CleanTech Innovation Challenge under CII-ASCEND: 12 June 2025
- Application Window: 12 June – 31 July 2025
- Shortlisting by Expert : August 2025
- Announcement of Winners & Pilot Kick-off: November 2025
- Showcase of Outcomes: September 2026
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