Bengaluru, Oct 19 Scaling up existing technologies and widening access to data are key to advancing climate action, said Pratap Raju, founder of the CCF, on Monday.
India has strong capabilities in climate technology, data and AI, but the priority is to bring these strengths together to deploy existing solutions and scale those that work, he said.
Speaking at the conclusion of the inaugural Bangalore Climate Data Week (BLR-CDW) 2026, Raju said stronger collaboration among startups, the government, researchers, investors and industries was essential to scaling climate solutions.
“This requires better access to climate data, stronger collaboration between technology developers and the industries that can adopt their solutions, and closer coordination between startups, government, researchers, and investors. BLR-CDW has created a space for these ecosystems to work together to strengthen India’s leadership in climate innovation globally,” he said.
Organised by Climate Collective Foundation, the five-day event featured 36 events from October 12 to 16, bringing together stakeholders from the climate, data and technology ecosystems, a statement said.
Google was the anchor partner, while the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS) and Startup Karnataka were state innovation partners, it said.
The programme brought together climate-tech founders, investors, researchers, policymakers, corporates and technology developers to explore how data and AI could help address challenges in industrial decarbonisation, climate resilience, energy, mobility, urban systems and resource management, according to CCF.
The AI for Climate Tech Summit, held on October 13, examined AI applications in weather and flood forecasting, energy optimisation, freight electrification and resource efficiency, the statement said.
Discussions addressed the environmental costs of AI infrastructure, particularly its energy and water requirements, and the need to assess applications based on their practical value and measurable climate outcomes, CCF said.
Sanjeev Gupta, Chief Executive Officer of the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission, said Karnataka had the talent, technology ecosystem and renewable energy capacity to help shape the next phase of climate innovation.
He highlighted the potential for a “UPI for Climate” to make climate data accessible to startups, digital twins to help cities prepare for floods and heat stress, and AI to support farmers in making better decisions.
Gupta said collaboration among the government, industry, academia and startups would be crucial to translating these ideas into scalable solutions, adding that the ambition behind UPI should also guide climate action.
The event highlighted that developing climate technologies was only part of the effort needed to address climate challenges. Successful solutions also required reliable data, collaboration with industry partners, institutional support, adequate financing and skilled human resources, CCF said.
As India continues to build its AI and climate-tech capabilities, connecting these ecosystems can help ensure that technological progress contributes to practical climate outcomes. Bangalore Climate Data Week provided a platform for discussions and the development of partnerships across sectors, the statement added.
The Climate Collective Foundation, which describes itself as India’s largest non-profit climate tech ecosystem orchestrator, was founded in 2016 by clean tech entrepreneurs.
According to its website, it has run 102 acceleration programmes for 1,532 early-stage startups, from pre-revenue firms to those earning about USD 1 million.
(PTI News)
