Seven women-led start-ups in India have been selected for a 6-month targeted acceleration program called TVARAN, launched jointly by Villgro and CISCO's India Cash Grant Program. The initiative is aimed at promoting women entrepreneurship in climate action and expanding the market presence of women-led start-ups in renewable energy, water and waste management, and climate-smart agriculture.The selected seven women-led enterprises who will participate in the TVARAN program are Climate Sense, Green Grahi, Green Delight, MOWO Fleet, Swachha Eco Solutions, KNP Arises Green Energy and Bharat Krushi Seva. These women-led enterprises will undergo a six-month acceleration program aimed at financing and implementing go-to-market strategies for women entrepreneurs.Villgro and CISCO have designed this high-engagement program to provide support mechanisms, including financial support of INR 1.4 crore . The financial support will be in the form of a grant of INR 18 lakhs and technical support of INR 2 lakhs.In addition to financial support, the program will also provide capacity building, business planning, mentorship, and peer learning to the selected start-ups. These support mechanisms are expected to help the start-ups implement their go-to-market strategies effectively and achieve sustainable growth.Also Read: Mission LiFE: PM Modi calls for mass movement in global fight against climate change"Women are at the forefront of climate action in India, and befittingly so, considering climate action outcomes are proved to improve with the participation of women," Jenaan Lilani Bhargava, COO, Villgro said."We had the pleasure of getting to know over 100 women-led solutions to climate change through this program and are excited about the seven that have been selected. Through the TVARAN initiative, we will work together with the entrepreneurs to seize new market opportunities, expand across geographies and solve value chain problems that are standing in the way of their success," Bhargava added.Despite their significant impact, women-led green-tech start-ups often face obstacles such as limited access to capital and markets. "The TVARAN initiative aims to overcome this problem through a focused market-entry and market expansion program to help seven of the country’s best women-led climate solutions," a statement from Villgro said.The TVARAN Accelerator Program opened up applications in October 2022. As per the rules, to be eligible for the program, start-ups must be in the climate action sector and must be founded or co-founded by women with at least a 50 percent shareholding and an active decision-making role.The program received 140 applications from across India, of which 11 start-ups were selected for one month of focused go-to-market and scaling support, including four masterclasses on critical topics such as finance for scaling, the business value of impact data, understanding customers through design thinking, and building strong pitches.All 11 then pitched to a Jury consisting of experts from CISCO, Villgro, and BYST .Managing Director and Chief Policy Officer, Cisco India & SAARC Harish Krishnan said that the overwhelming response to the program demonstrates that social impact entrepreneurs are passionate about expanding their market accessibility."While we received a number of outstanding entries, the selected start-ups all share a common quality- they are characterised by a unique blend of technology, innovation, sustainability, and social purpose and strive to create a positive impact in the ecosystem. With Villgro as our partner, we look forward to collaborating with these exciting and innovative start-ups and providing them with the support and guidance needed to pursue their ambitions." he added.Also Read: Startups are taking measures to ensure more women participation, says expert
