Greenovation DRE for Livelihoods Challenge 2026

The Greenovation Renewable Energy for Livelihoods Challenge is a competition that seeks clean energy innovations tailored for India's underserved rural and peri-urban communities. It supports early-stage prototypes and market-ready solutions addressing critical gaps in cold chain, water access, productive livelihoods, system reliability, and rural enterprise support. The program aims to generate real-world evidence of adoption and impact.

Solution areas include:

• Cold chain, storage & preservation (solar cold rooms, solar-powered fish/food preservation, decentralised pre-cooling, refrigerated rural transport)
• Irrigation & water access (solar-powered water purification, community-scale drinking water, decentralised water treatment, smart water-quality monitoring)
• Productive use & rural livelihoods (DRE-powered equipment, pay-per-use energy services, smallholder-first systems, income-generation tooling)
• Operations & service ecosystems (predictive maintenance, local repair and servicing, remote monitoring, performance optimisation)
• Women-led enterprises (finance access, entrepreneurial capacity-building, inclusion in climate-smart DRE ventures)
• Data & finance (digital platforms for performance monitoring and payments, decision-support tools for investment and policy)

Winners receive up to ₹20 lakh in non-dilutive grant funding, a 3-day residential bootcamp, and structured incubation through the EarthON Gurukul Pathway with mentorship and growth support. High-potential cohorts may also be eligible for equity or debt investment via the EarthON Fund. The challenge also offers visibility and networking with policymakers, investors, and industry leaders.

• Up to ₹20L non-dilutive grant per winner
• 3-day residential bootcamp + EarthON Gurukul incubation
• Indian-incorporated only; pre-revenue OK
• Rural livelihoods focus: cold chain, water, DRE
• Dedicated women-led enterprise track

To apply, you must be an Indian-incorporated company with a registered legal entity in India. Startups at the prototype, users, or paying users stage are eligible, whether funded or unfunded. Revenue is not required — pre-revenue startups are welcome. The programme is open to startups working in clean energy, renewable energy, solar, aquaculture, horticulture, fisheries, smart water management, sustainable rural development, livelihood development, and solar-powered agriculture/mobility/irrigation, as well as cold chain energy management.

Greenovation DRE for Livelihoods Challenge 2026 is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.

The most recent application window for Greenovation DRE for Livelihoods Challenge 2026 closed on 25 May 2026. Many programmes run repeat cohorts, so it is worth checking the official site for the next round.

The selection process consists of five stages:

1. Application – Submit your proposal.
2. Shortlist – Candidates are shortlisted for the next round.
3. Bootcamp – Selected participants attend a 3-day residential bootcamp.
4. Pitch – Participants pitch their solutions.
5. Decision – Winners are selected and announced.

Before you apply to Greenovation DRE for Livelihoods Challenge 2026, keep the following documents ready:

• A pitch deck or short business plan describing the problem, product and traction
• Company registration documents and PAN
• Founder identification (PAN / Aadhaar) and brief profiles
• Recent financial statements or projections
• Product details — a demo, prototype or working link if available

Exact requirements are confirmed on the official application portal — treat this as a preparation checklist.

Greenovation DRE for Livelihoods Challenge 2026 is best suited for startups in India seeking non-dilutive funding of ₹20L. If that describes your startup, review the eligibility criteria above before applying.