Techtonic Innovations in Clean Energy 2026

A grand challenge by Social Alpha to identify and support science-led, consumer-centric innovations solving critical bottlenecks across India's clean energy value chain with funding up to ₹60 lakh.

The energy sector is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, with energy-related CO2 reaching a record of 37.5 Gt in 2024. In India, despite rapid growth in renewable energy deployment, challenges such as rising electricity demand, extreme heat, continued fossil-fuel dependence, uneven energy access, and significant gaps in energy storage and efficiency hinder the transition to a resilient low-carbon energy system. The country faces a substantial deployment gap in the Decentralised Renewable Energy (DRE) sector, impacting millions of livelihoods, with a large percentage of rural households experiencing power outages and many lacking access to clean cooking solutions. Additionally, India anticipates a massive battery demand of 244 GWh by 2035, driven by the need to integrate renewable energy and cope with increasing electricity demand during peak summer months, often met by fossil fuels.

Techtonic: Innovations in Clean Energy is a strategic initiative by Social Alpha designed to address these critical issues. This grand challenge aims to identify and empower science-led and consumer-centric innovations that can effectively resolve bottlenecks across the entire energy value chain in India. The program focuses on fostering solutions that expand the productive use of energy, enhance reliability through advanced storage technologies, significantly reduce energy intensity in key areas such as cooling, MSMEs, buildings, and industrial processes, and accelerate the widespread adoption of clean technologies. By supporting these pioneering solutions, Techtonic endeavors to cultivate a cleaner and more resilient energy system for India, contributing significantly to the nation's long-term climate action and sustainable development objectives.