Building on the success of the Innovating for Clean Air Project in India (2019-21), Energy Systems Catapult is launching a challenge call in partnership with Social Alpha’s Clean Energy Innovation Incubation Centre (CEIIC), seeking SME’s with innovations in the Electric Vehicle and Energy Storage space who are looking to enter the Indian market.

Whilst the UK ranks high globally for innovation, this is not matched by commercial export success. Innovators often lack the resources to create full export strategies, and our research shows the two most common things they lack are in-country contacts and market understanding.

This project works closely with innovators to build their capacity to export, helping to navigate the uniqueness of the Indian market and barriers to entry.

The Opportunity

India is a huge and growing market for clean energy solutions. The UK and India are collaborating in a number of areas, including clean energy, and momentum will only grow in this space following India’s announcement of a Net Zero target at COP26.

Energy Systems Catapult combines a unique expertise in developing smart energy business models and has strong overseas networks to create soft landings for UK innovators in global markets. Working with Social Alpha, successful applicants will have the opportunity to pitch to local organisations in order to perform market validation, find local partners or agents, and generate sales opportunities.

Who should apply and why?

Energy Systems Catapult’s international offer responds to innovators’ needs.

We provide a niche, three-phase service based on substantial experience of supporting innovators to commercialise, our specialist knowledge of smart energy systems and our networks overseas. By taking part in the programme, you will benefit from:

• The opportunity to pitch to a range of selected industry stakeholders and other innovative local businesses and form a collaborative partnership.
• Support from and access to services provided by the CEIIC (Social Alpha’s Energy Lab) in Delhi including access to local accelerator programmes. Following the pitch event, up to four SME’s will be selected to receive 12 months incubation support from Social Alpha and free membership of CEIIC – including seating and access to labs.
• Assistance in developing proposition and pitch for the local market, leveraging the power of story to strengthen your message to prospective customers and partners.
• Access to a dedicated Incubation Manager who will guide and mentor you in developing your Local Engagement Plan.
• A selection of webinars designed to build awareness of how to successfully conduct business in India.

Innovators are invited to apply to this challenge call with products or services in the following areas:

Electric Vehicles/Transport

Infrastructure improvements including charging, flexible / smart charging, and vehicle to grid (V2G) integration. Specific opportunities include:

• Affordable and reliable public charging infrastructure, with appropriate considerations for the Indian market (e.g. two/three-wheeler compatible)
• Battery swapping technologies
• Online platforms for charging infrastructure visibility
• Solutions that encourage smart charging to all users through trial products, incentives, and the development of cyber-secure and interoperable products
• Solutions to deliver consumer propositions that successfully access flexibility, in particular related to EV charging.

Energy System

• Tools that provide a richer understanding of how transport, power, energy and town planning interlink and can be coordinated
• Systems that improve the understanding and visibility of current and future states of the Indian energy system, including:
  • Automatically controlled interventions; storage, compensation and filtering
  • Technologies to decouple the grid from charging demands.
  • Platforms to help supply management and forecasting, improve predictability and help to lower the cost of connecting DER’s.
  • Tools that help to reduce Inefficiencies, losses, theft in energy lifecycle (generation, transmission, distribution, consumption)
  • Smart payments, financing and contracting solutions to simply the experience for consumers.

Energy Storage

• • Solutions and technology that integrate storage with low carbon generation at the grid edge and in domestic and commercial/industrial settings to maintain/improve grid stability, including microgrid and minigrid solutions
  • Energy storage technologies – developments in technology to increase performance, lifespan, range, recyclability and reduce environmental impacts
  • Hydrogen storage technology improvements, such as improved compression, small scale storage technology and hydrogen quality measurement.

If you have an interest in exporting and are open to learning how to adapt your business model to the Indian market, apply today! Application window closes at 4pm on Thursday 17th January 2022.

About Social Alpha and CEIIC

Social Alpha is a multistage innovation curation and venture development platform for science and technology start-ups that aim to address the most critical social, economic and environmental challenges. Social Alpha supports entrepreneurs through a network of innovation labs, startup incubators, accelerator programmes, seed funds and market access mechanisms. Selected startups get access to infrastructure, sandbox for pilots and validations, product management guidance, technical, business and regulatory expertise, early-stage risk capital and entrepreneurial mentoring.

Social Alpha had set up the Clean Energy International Incubation Centre (CEIIC) to support clean energy innovations in their lab-to-market journey. It is a joint initiative of Government of India (through Department of Biotechnology and BIRAC) and Tata Trusts, and is supported by Tata Power. It has become the first and only International Incubator in India under Mission Innovation, and has been providing a soft landing platform to international innovations entering India with impactful solutions relevant for the country.