India

Open Call: Sustainability Cohort India 2027

The Sustainability Cohort India 2027 connects Swiss startups that develop sustainable solutions with India’s rapidly growing sustainability ecosystem. It offers a unique opportunity to validate products, build partnerships across the country, and test business growth in one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing markets for sustainable technologies. Sustainability Cohort 2027 is powered by Innosuisse and managed by Swissnex.

Swissnex Programme Benefits for Participating Startups

The programme will take place over one week on-site in India in late February / early March 2027. The exact dates will be announced soon. Prior to the on-site week, virtual sessions will be held to ensure a smooth experience and thorough preparation for the participants. The overall programme includes the following components:

  • Programme Stipend:
    • Travel grants of CHF 3,000 for the Market Validation Camp and CHF 6,000 for the Market Entry Camp are provided by Innosuisse to selected startups.
  • Preparatory Activities:
    • Engage in online modules and discussions with Swissnex coaches four to six weeks before the on-site visit to India.
    • Develop clear milestones for an impactful engagement during the on-site week.
  • Orientation & Sector Immersion:
    • Gain in-depth insights into India’s sustainability and energy landscape and market dynamics through group sessions and workshops.
  • Strategic Meetings:
    • Participate in five to six tailored bilateral meetings with relevant actors in the field of sustainability and energy in India.
    • Receive support through briefing and debriefing sessions with a Swissnex coach to fine-tune your approach.
  • Visibility:
    • Present your innovations to around 400 ecosystem players at a dedicated conference in India.
  • Post-Visit Support:
    • Receive 15 days of follow-up assistance to help you capitalise on the connections and opportunities created during the programme.

Why India? 

  • Vast Market Potential: With 1.4 billion people and one of the highest climate risk rankings worldwide, India faces urgent sustainability challenges. The country’s clean energy sector alone is projected to reach $74 billion by 2030, creating unparalleled opportunities for Swiss startups to scale impactful solutions.
  • Global Renewable Powerhouse: India ranks 4th worldwide in renewable power capacity and is targeting 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030 and net-zero by 2070. This momentum provides a powerful launchpad for Swiss innovations in renewable energy, storage, and decarbonisation.
  • Policy & Financial Tailwinds: Supportive frameworks, from reduced taxes on renewable components to mandatory ESG reporting for the top 1000 listed companies, are accelerating the adoption of sustainable technologies and creating attractive conditions for international investments.
  • Innovation Meets Frugal Engineering: India’s proven strengths in cost-efficient engineering, rapid deployment, and large-scale market adaptation make it an ideal environment to pair with Swiss precision and innovation. Together, these capabilities can deliver affordable, globally competitive clean-tech solutions.
  • Momentum for Collaboration: Backed by strong investor confidence, rapid urbanisation, and deepening bilateral ties, India’s sustainability sector is primed for growth. The new Switzerland–India Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) further lowers entry barriers and opens doors to impactful cross-border collaborations.

Who Can Apply

  • Startups headquartered in Switzerland and incorporated within the last five years are eligible to apply.
  • We encourage applications from early-stage to growth-stage startups that have developed a late-stage prototype and are ready for market validation.
  • Startups currently participating in the Innosuisse Coaching Program are strongly encouraged to apply.

To register your interest, fill out this form. The deadline is October 31. For any questions or clarifications, please contact the Innovation team. Their details can be found below.

By participating in the Sustainability Cohort India 2027, Swiss startups can enhance their market presence, forge valuable partnerships with Indian industry leaders and contribute to the rising need for sustainable energy solutions.

 

Further reading on India:

India officially classifies as an ‘Innovation Overperformer’ (WIPO) and leads the innovation list of lower middle-income economies. The investment activity proves the Indian ecosystem’s mettle: in 2025 alone, Indian startups in climate tech received over CHF 2.1 billion in funding (Tracxn).

At Swissnex in India, we sit at the heart of this innovation and business machine called Bengaluru. Here, we bring with us over 15 years of network and experience in enabling Swiss startups to validate and enter the Indian market.

Known as the hub of frugal innovation and rapid deployment, India enables cost-effective R&D, prototyping and validation for sustainable technology solutions. Further, India, much like the broader world, has realised that sustainability underwrites revenue and growth. Swiss startups can leverage this momentum to implement and test scalable technologies including renewable energy generation and storage, hydrogen, electric mobility and decarbonisation tools. The Indian government’s  growing climate-focused policies, encouraging regulatory frameworks and increasing investor confidence promote fast adoption and scaling.

Finally, we are noticing how the recently inaugurated Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) between the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) states and India is gaining momentum to create 1 million jobs in India. Joining this journey, Swiss startups can benefit from regulatory reliefs and faster approvals (PwC).

Testimonials

    The Market Validation Camp in India has been a great experience. The support and engagement of the Swissnex team has been very helpful in order to better shape our understanding of the Indian market. We have significantly improved our understanding of the insurance/regulatory environment in India as well as of our go-to market approach. We have established a series of leads and deal-flows in the insurance ecosystem and have become members of the Insurtech Association of India (IIA). We have also engaged with the regulatory body Insurance Regulation and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) as well as the National Insurance Association (NIA), and we plan to enter the Indian market with our parametric solution.

    Thomas Krapf Riskwolf

    As always, the Swissnex team is excellent at picking out the pain points for their startups and at helping address them. It is tremendously helpful that the team is ‘on-the-ground’ in the target markets and that their knowledge and networks are so extensive. India is a key spot in the world to improve preterm health, therefore the Market Validation Camp was very helpful to us as we got good leads from some investors and gained insights about the Indian healthcare system.

    Alex Nitsch OxyPrem

    The Market Validation Camp was a founding part of our plans in India. We extensively scouted and eventually connected with key industrial players including leading energy think tanks and policy influencers, getting their valuable feedback about validation of solutions deployment, which is now serving as the key factor for our market entry plans.

    Dr Saurabh Tembhurne SoHHytech SA

Partner

Contact

    Donovan Mueller

    Innovation Associate
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