The Sustainability Mafia (SusMafia), a non-profit organisation working at the intersection of climate education, early-stage incubation, and ecosystem building, has received a ₹2 crore CSR funding from Zerodha.
The funds raised will be used to build a skilled, climate-aware workforce and enable climate-tech startups to scale solutions that drive measurable impact across critical areas, including air quality, water and sanitation, waste management, carbon reduction, and the circular economy.
The Foundation will deepen its work across climate education, knowledge dissemination, and early-stage incubation, through structured learning programs for students and professionals, hands-on support for early-stage climate ventures, development of shared knowledge resources, and learning-focused ecosystem engagements that enable collaboration among founders, practitioners, and institutional partners.
The proposed use of funds includes training 300+ Climate Ninjas, supporting 20+ early-stage climate startups, and convening regional and national ecosystem gatherings such as SusCrunch, bringing together stakeholders across the climate and sustainability spectrum. Through a systematic approach that combines capacity building, innovation incubation, and applied learning.
Founded in 2018, The Sustainability Engine Foundation is a non-profit organisation focused on climate education, early-stage incubation, and ecosystem building. Its work centres on creating a skilled, climate-aware talent pool and enabling a vibrant network of climate-tech enterprises and practitioners working towards meaningful environmental and social outcomes.
It collaborates closely with leading academic institutions, including Indian School of Business (ISB), IIT Madras, BITS Pilani, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology (JIIT), Jaypee University of Information Technology (JUIT), and Ashoka University, integrating real-world climate challenges into classrooms and talent pipelines.
The foundation brings together a strong network of climate-tech enterprises, including PadCare, Dexler Energy, The Mend Packaging, Lucro, and several others, driving impactful innovation.
This work is supported by a committed group of philanthropic partners such as Spectrum Impact, Sanghvi Movers, Parksons Packaging, Dhanpal Jhaveri and Pradeep Burman, who play a vital role in strengthening the ecosystem.
These programs are designed to address critical gaps in the climate ecosystem, particularly the lack of industry-ready talent, early-stage validation support for founders, and trusted platforms that connect innovators with capital, corporates, and real-world pilots.
Over the past few years, the Foundation has built a robust climate education and incubation ecosystem. Through its Climate Ninja program, it has trained 400+ climate professionals, while its early-stage incubation efforts have deployed ₹1 crore in grants to support emerging climate ventures. Today, this work is anchored by a strong and growing network of 80+ climate entrepreneurs, collectively driving impact across sectors.
Nithin Kamath, CEO of Zerodha, said, “Strong climate outcomes emerge when founders, practitioners, and learners have access to the right knowledge and support early in their journey. The Sustainability Engine Foundation is building this connective tissue for the climate ecosystem, and we’re pleased to back their work.”
Ganesh, Director of SusMafia, said, “At the heart of our work is the belief that sustainability scales faster when communities work together toward a shared goal. This grant strengthens our ability to build that community, bringing founders, talent, and partners closer as we collectively work to make sustainability the default choice. It enables us to deepen our efforts with greater focus, reach, and impact.”
