Mumbai Climate Week Unveils Innovation Challenge for Climate Solutions

Mumbai Climate Week (MCW) India's inaugural global climate action and solutions platform scheduled for February 2026, on Friday announced the launch of the Climate Innovation Challenge –a first-of-its-kind multi-stage programmed aimed at accelerating breakthrough climate innovations that can be deployed at scale across India and the Global South. Mumbai Climate week, is an initiative of Project Mumbai in partnership with the Government of Maharashtra and BMC and aims to bring together climate action leaders from across the world, hoping to showcase solutions across platforms through a festival of conversations led by innovators, youth, civil society, students and businesses and philanthropies at the Jio World Convention Centre from 17–19 February 2026. 

The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi has been invited to inaugurate the Mumbai Climate Week. The MCW Innovation Challenge will be led by the National

Stock Exchange of India (NSE) as Innovation Challenge Partner and is designed to spotlight and propel solutions in mitigation, adaptation and resilience. The Challenge invites startups, students, researchers, NGOs, CSOs, innovators and climate entrepreneurs from across India and participating nations to test, refine and showcase high-impact ideas with the final showcase taking place live at Mumbai Climate Week 2026. With invitations extended to several countries across the Global South, the Innovation Challenge will add to MCW being positioned to make India become one of India’s most influential climate solution platforms at global scale.

Government of Maharashtra, Majhi Vasundhara, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC),Monitor Deloitte, HT Parekh Foundation, India Climate Collaborative (ICC), Shakti Foundation, WRI India UNICEF, Rainmatter Foundation, Mahindra Group, Climate Group, NGMA and  some of the world’s leading knowledge institutions, climate networks, policy bodies, funders and Indian organisations who have joined  hands with Project Mumbai led  MCW, making the platform a unique convergence of global and local climate leadership. MCW is being structured as a citizen led initiative, with a convergence of actionable solutions across Mumbai, from discussing the Mumbai Climate Action plan to building conversations on cinema and climate, Food and climate, sports, art and even healthcare and climate as part of the experientials. Colleges, through NSS volunteers will be part of the action plan too.

Shishir Joshi, Founder & CEO, Project Mumbai, said “Mumbai Climate Week is committed to building platforms that turn ideas into action. This partnership with NSE strengthens our ability to identify and propel solutions that can help cities and communities adapt, innovate and build climate resilience at scale. By bringing together innovators, investors, grassroots practitioners, community voices, technical experts and policymakers under one umbrella, we aim to unlock meaningful pathways for climate impact not just for Mumbai, but for the entire region.”

Ashishkumar Chauhan, MD & CEO, NSE, said “India’s very own Mumbai Climate Week, to be held in February 2026, comes at a defining moment in our nation’s journey toward Net Zero by 2070. Achieving this vision will require over USD 10 trillion till 2070 in climate finance across our NDC, Viksit Bharat and Net Zero phases, driving investments in clean energy, green mobility and resilient infrastructure. As India’s leading market infrastructure institution, NSE is enabling this transition through market-driven climate finance instruments, from Monthly Electricity Futures to GSS+ and Transition Bonds, and the upcoming Green Equity Pathway, CFD and Carbon Market products. Through its partnership with Mumbai Climate Week, NSE reaffirms its commitment to making sustainable finance accessible, transparent and impactful, strengthening Bharat’s position as a global leader in green innovation and responsible growth.”

MCW is envisioned as India’s citizens-led climate movement, where policy connects with people and innovation is transformed into real-world application. The Innovation Challenge is central to this mission, creating a strong pipeline of deployable, India-rooted and globally relevant climate solutions for cities, communities and climate- vulnerable regions. The multi-stage programmed equips participants through capacity- building sessions, masterclasses, technical mentoring, structured jury evaluations and a high-energy “Investor Speed-Seeding Forum” on Day 3 of MCW, enabling direct one- on-one engagement with capital providers.

Finalists will further gain visibility at the MCW Solutions Exhibition Arena, presenting their innovations to policymakers, funders, industry leaders, philanthropies and global climate networks, along with opportunities for pilots, partnerships and MoUs through MCW ecosystem partners. This integrated structure ensures that promising innovations move beyond ideation and are placed on a credible pathway toward deployment and scale.