IndusDC Commits ₹100 Crore to Finance Cleantech New companies in India
L-R - Prof Satyanarayanan Seshadri Founding Member Technologist Kaustubh Hanmantgad Founding Director COO Dr. Kushant Uppal Founder CEO 
IndusDC, a venture studio specializing in deep technologies, has pledged a significant ₹100 crore investment to support cleantech startups in India. This initiative aims to significantly reduce carbon emissions, targeting a goal of one gigaton of carbon dioxide removed by 2035.
Identifying and Empowering Cleantech Innovation
The funding will be used to actively seek out and co-develop hard-tech startups across India throughout the 2024-25 fiscal year. Each startup founded with IndusDC’s backing will receive up to ₹20 crore in capital. This comprehensive support package will include grants to fuel technological development, equity investments to bridge the gap between initial revenue and profitability, and debt or working capital solutions to facilitate growth beyond the initial profit stage.
The studio has already secured a commitment for funding the first five startups from Mirik Gogri, representing the family office of Aarti Industries Ltd.’s promoters.
The Team Behind the Vision
IndusDC was established in 2023 by a team of accomplished individuals. Kushant Uppal, a serial entrepreneur with experience at IIT-Madras and the University of Southern California, leads the team. Satyanarayanan Seshadri, a professor at IIT-Madras and the founder of the institute’s “Energy Consortium” initiative, brings his expertise to the table. Kaustubh Hanmantgad, an expert in behavior analytics and team building, rounds out the founding team.
“At IndusDC, we’re building a comprehensive support system to empower startups at every stage of their journey, from initial research to market adoption,” stated Uppal. “Our team is dedicated to setting the standard for intellectual property-focused decarbonization venture studios, ultimately establishing this field as an attractive investment opportunity.”
IndusDC benefits from the support of a network of established entrepreneurs and angel investors, including Ashish Gupta of Helion Venture Partners and Sri Myneni of Knoah Solutions.
“We are more than happy to put resources into and team up with IndusDC in their aggressive mission to decrease fossil fuel byproducts by one gigaton by 2035,” said Mirik Gogri of Range Effect. “The group’s broad enterprising experience positions them impeccably to recognize promising protected innovation and develop internationally effective endeavors.”
Building a Sustainable Future
IndusDC has ambitious plans for the future, aiming to establish five startups within the next two years and expand to over 50 ventures globally over the next decade. Their approach involves co-founding these startups and bringing talented entrepreneurs on board.
Currently, IndusDC is collaborating with IIT-Madras on three hard-tech startups. They plan to expand their network by partnering with additional research and technology institutes to uncover valuable intellectual properties and develop new ventures. Throughout the 2025 fiscal year, the company intends to secure further investment commitments from strategic partners to support grants, equity, and debt financing.