How Satin Group’s Sankalp plans to empower India’s next wave of founders
University incubators play an important role in nurturing early-stage ideas, but Sankalp aims to go further by helping entrepreneurs bridge the gap between developing a concept and preparing it for the market.
India's startup scene is experiencing a surge in innovation focused on climate action and sustainability. While many promising ideas exist, turning them into scalable businesses requires access to capital, industry networks, and structured mentorship. Recognizing these gaps, Satin Group, a Gurugram-based financial services company, launched Sankalp in September 2023.
Sankalp is a platform designed to empower sustainability-focused ideas from students and early-stage entrepreneurs. CEO Pramod Marar discussed the initiative's goals, the importance of non-financial support alongside funding, and the role financial institutions can play in scaling climate innovation.
Sankalp operates through two tracks: one for student-led business ideas and another for early-stage startups. Both aim to foster technology-driven solutions addressing climate challenges. The program offers a prize pool of Rs 32 lakh, with Rs 10 lakh allocated for student teams and Rs 22 lakh for startups. Over 17,000 registrations were received, with more than 1,000 teams participating, indicating strong interest from student innovators in technology-led climate solutions.
Marar, who founded Satin Group in 1990 with experience in banking, microfinance, and sustainability entrepreneurship, explained that Sankalp aims to go beyond traditional incubators by providing mentorship, access to networks, and financial support through debt and equity. KPMG is evaluating applications against a predefined framework, ensuring a merit-based selection process.
Thirty teams advanced to the virtual jury round, where they will present their ideas to a panel of practitioners, venture capital fund managers, and lenders. Judges will assess the strength of the idea, innovation, feasibility, scalability, and potential impact.
Beyond the prize money, shortlisted ventures will interact with VC funds, incubation centers, and institutional investors during the Grand Finale. Satin Group itself will consider investment opportunities on a case-by-case basis, taking into account each business model, stage of development, funding needs, and suitability. The initiative demonstrates Satin Group's commitment to building a comprehensive ecosystem that nurtures sustainability-focused companies from concept to market readiness.
Written by urgent.news from YourStory's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
