Mumbai Climate Week (MCW), India’s first global climate action and solutions platform, scheduled for February 17–19, 2026, has announced the launch of the Climate Innovation Challenge. Unveiled last Friday, the multi-stage program is the first of its kind, aimed at accelerating breakthrough climate innovations that can be deployed at scale across India and other countries in the Global South.
Organized by Project Mumbai in partnership with the Government of Maharashtra and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), MCW will bring together climate leaders from around the world for a festival of conversations, workshops, and showcases led by innovators, youth, civil society, students, businesses, and philanthropies. The event will be hosted at the Jio World Convention Centre, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited to inaugurate the week.
The MCW Innovation Challenge, led by the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) as Innovation Challenge Partner, aims to spotlight and advance solutions in climate mitigation, adaptation, and resilience. The program invites startups, students, researchers, NGOs, CSOs, innovators, and climate entrepreneurs from across India and participating nations to test, refine, and showcase high-impact ideas. The final presentations will take place live at Mumbai Climate Week 2026.
With participation from several countries across the Global South, the Innovation Challenge strengthens MCW’s position as one of India’s leading global climate solution platforms. Partners and collaborators include the Government of Maharashtra, Majhi Vasundhara, BMC, Monitor Deloitte, HT Parekh Foundation, India Climate Collaborative (ICC), Shakti Foundation, WRI India, UNICEF, Rainmatter Foundation, Mahindra Group, Climate Group, NGMA, and other top knowledge institutions, policy bodies, funders, and Indian organizations. This diverse coalition makes MCW a unique convergence of global and local climate leadership.
MCW is being structured as a citizen-led initiative, with actionable solutions spanning Mumbai—from discussions on the Mumbai Climate Action Plan to experiences connecting climate with cinema, food, sports, art, and healthcare. Colleges will also contribute through NSS volunteer participation.
Shishir Joshi, Founder & CEO of Project Mumbai, said,
“Mumbai Climate Week is committed to building platforms that turn ideas into action. Partnering with NSE strengthens our ability to identify and scale solutions that help cities and communities adapt, innovate, and build climate resilience. By bringing together innovators, investors, grassroots practitioners, community voices, technical experts, and policymakers, we aim to unlock meaningful pathways for climate impact not just for Mumbai, but for the entire region.”
Ashishkumar Chauhan, MD & CEO of NSE, added,
“Mumbai Climate Week, coming at a pivotal moment in India’s journey toward Net Zero by 2070, will highlight the critical role of climate finance. Achieving this vision will require over USD 10 trillion in investments across clean energy, green mobility, and resilient infrastructure. NSE is supporting this transition through market-driven climate finance instruments and reaffirms its commitment to making sustainable finance accessible, transparent, and impactful, strengthening India’s position as a global leader in green innovation.”
The Innovation Challenge is central to MCW’s mission of translating innovation into real-world solutions. The multi-stage program provides capacity-building sessions, masterclasses, technical mentoring, structured jury evaluations, and a high-energy “Investor Speed-Seeding Forum” on Day 3. Finalists will gain visibility at the MCW Solutions Exhibition Arena, showcasing innovations to policymakers, funders, industry leaders, philanthropies, and global climate networks, with opportunities for pilots, partnerships, and MoUs through MCW ecosystem partners. This structure ensures promising innovations move beyond ideas to credible pathways for deployment and scale.
