On March 8th, Bengaluru witnessed a groundbreaking event titled ‘Bridging Gaps to Emerging Solutions’ at Bangalore Creative Circus, where over 30 women ecopreneurs showcased their innovative green ideas and projects. Organized by the #GreenHustlers initiative in collaboration with Bharat Climate Startup, this event aimed to provide a platform for concepts aligning with India’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Amidst the global theme of ‘Investing in Women: Accelerate Progress’ on International Women’s Day, the event fostered an environment conducive to women-led businesses and start-ups, offering them access to a myriad of opportunities. The panel discussions delved into exploring synergies among the public sector, private investors, and climate start-ups, shedding light on potential collaborations to expedite the development and deployment of innovative climate solutions.

Kalyani Krishna, Manager of Gender Inclusion at Villgro, emphasized the pivotal role incubators play in supporting entrepreneurs, stressing the importance of finding the right incubator tailored to the business’s stage and needs.

The event featured a rapid presentation segment, challenging start-ups to condense their value proposition and vision into a concise 90-second pitch. This segment not only tested entrepreneurs’ ability to communicate effectively under pressure but also unveiled technically advanced solutions poised to enrich India’s climate startup ecosystem.

Sonika Choudhury, a Fellow at People + AI, highlighted the significance of such gatherings, stating, “This was a great space to connect and network with like-minded folks. The climate and sustainability space is still very nascent. We need a lot of these to happen if sustainability and climate action in business have to take off.”

The event underscored the importance of fostering a supportive ecosystem for women ecopreneurs and highlighted the potential of innovative green initiatives in driving sustainable development in India and beyond.