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CISCO and Villgro Announce TVARAN Acceleration Program Winners

The TVARAN Acceleration Program is aimed at empowering women-led start-ups in climate action. Through the program, Villgro and CISCO will provide the start-ups with financial support upto INR 20 lakhs each.

April 20, 2023. By Anurima Mondal

Villgro and CISCO, through its India Cash Grant Program, have jointly selected seven women-led start-ups in the climate action segment for their 6-month targeted acceleration program- TVARAN.

This unique initiative for women-led social enterprises in climate action aims to expand the market presence of women-led start-ups innovating in renewable energy, water and waste management, and climate-smart agriculture.

The seven winners who will participate in the TVARAN program are Climate Sense, Green Grahi, Green Delight, MOWO Fleet, Swachha Eco Solutions, KNP Arises Green Energy and Bharat Krushi Seva.

While women-led green-tech start-ups are creating significant impact, they continue to face many obstacles, including access to capital and markets. The TVARAN initiative aims to overcome this problem through a focused market-entry and market expansion program to help seven of the country’s best women-led climate solutions.

The selected seven enterprises will undergo the 6-month acceleration program designed to finance and implement the go-to-market strategies of women entrepreneurs.

Through this high-engagement program, Villgro and CISCO will deploy support mechanisms in the form of financial support of INR 1.4 crore (up to INR 20 lakhs grant support of 18 lakhs & technical support of 2 lakhs per start-up).

Additionally, the start-ups will also be provided support in capacity building, business planning, mentorship, and peer learning, focussed towards the implementation of go-to-market strategies.

Commenting on the program, Jenaan Lilani Bhargava, COO, Villgro, said, “Women are at the forefront of climate action in India, and befittingly so, considering climate action outcomes are proved to improve with the participation of women. We had the pleasure of getting to know over 100 women-led solutions to climate change through this program and are excited about the seven that have been selected. Through the TVARAN initiative, we will work together with the entrepreneurs to seize new market opportunities, expand across geographies and solve value chain problems that are standing in the way of their success.”

Speaking on the initiative, Harish Krishnan, Managing Director & Chief Policy Officer, Cisco India & SAARC, said, “We believe that empowering women entrepreneurs to drive innovation and impact is crucial for building a sustainable future for all. We are delighted by the overwhelming response to the program, which demonstrates that social impact entrepreneurs are passionate about expanding their market accessibility.”

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TVARAN Acceleration Program Winners

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