Report on Clean Technology Venture Capital and its Role in Advancing Sustainable Development Goals in India

Introduction: Aligning Investment with Global Sustainability Targets

The venture capital (VC) sector is increasingly recognized as a critical driver for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in the domain of clean technology. By financing innovative solutions, VCs can accelerate progress towards key targets, including SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure). This report analyzes the clean technology investment landscape in India, drawing on insights from Himanshu Sharma, Head of Investment at Theia Ventures, an India-based VC firm focused on early-stage clean technology.

Analysis of India’s Clean Technology Investment Ecosystem

India presents a unique environment for clean technology investment, characterized by a convergence of factors that support sustainable development. The successful scaling of climate solutions within this market is pivotal for global progress on the SDGs.

Favorable Conditions for SDG Advancement

• Policy and Governance Alignment: The Indian government’s proactive policy landscape creates a conducive environment for decarbonization. Initiatives such as expanding electric vehicle (EV) subsidies to commercial transport and investing in domestic battery manufacturing directly support SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 7.
• Economic Scale and Market Demand: As India is projected to become the world’s third-largest economy by 2030, its market size offers significant opportunities to scale clean technologies. This economic growth, when coupled with sustainable innovation, contributes to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).
• Entrepreneurial Innovation: A strong entrepreneurial culture has fostered highly efficient and resilient business models. Local innovators have demonstrated the capacity to scale clean technology solutions that are cost-effective, a crucial factor for achieving SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) without imposing a “green premium” on consumers.

Systemic Challenges to Sustainable Innovation

• Infrastructure Deficits: The lack of supporting infrastructure, such as large-scale bioreactor facilities for carbon capture applications, presents a significant barrier to deploying new technologies at scale, impeding progress on SDG 9.
• Limited Risk Appetite: Aversion to long-gestation projects, common in early-stage climate technology, slows the flow of capital to transformative ventures essential for meeting the ambitious targets of SDG 13.
• Foreign Supply Chain Dependence: High reliance on foreign supply chains, particularly for components like EV batteries, poses risks to the long-term resilience and sustainability of India’s clean technology sector, impacting goals related to SDG 9 and SDG 12.

The Strategic Role of Venture Capital in Fostering Collaborative Climate Action

To overcome systemic barriers, VC firms like Theia Ventures are adopting a strategy centered on ecosystem development. This approach directly embodies the principles of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

Building a Collaborative Ecosystem

Theia Ventures focuses on forging connections between key stakeholders to create a thriving environment for climate innovators. By linking its network of entrepreneurs, R&D leaders, and investors with diverse risk appetites, the firm helps to de-risk investments and tackle challenges collectively, thereby accelerating the development of solutions that address multiple SDGs.

Recommendations for Professionals in Clean Technology VC

For professionals aspiring to contribute to the SDGs through a career in clean technology VC, a specific skill set and mindset are required. The following recommendations are based on industry leadership insights:

1. Cultivate Business Acumen and Curiosity: A deep understanding of business models and a persistent curiosity to learn are more critical than specific engineering expertise for making sound investment decisions that advance sustainable development.
2. Adopt a Founder-Centric Perspective: Gaining insight into the founder’s journey, including both successes and failures, is essential for providing meaningful support to enterprises working on complex climate challenges.
3. Maintain Comprehensive Industry Knowledge: Staying informed about the evolving clean technology and investment landscape through resources like industry podcasts is crucial for identifying and nurturing high-impact ventures aligned with the SDGs.
4. Prioritize Humility and Value Addition: Aspiring VCs must recognize the significant stakes for founders and focus on delivering hard-earned, insightful advice that adds tangible value to portfolio companies, ultimately enhancing their capacity to contribute to global sustainability targets.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG 13: Climate Action
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

   • Target 7.a: By 2030, enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology, including renewable energy, energy efficiency and advanced and cleaner fossil-fuel technology, and promote investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technology. The article directly addresses this by focusing on “clean tech venture capital” and “early-stage clean tech investments” in India, highlighting the role of firms like Theia Ventures in financing and fostering clean technology.

2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.2: Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, with a focus on high-value added and labour-intensive sectors. The article discusses scaling “clean tech solutions” and highlights India’s “home-grown entrepreneurial drive,” which contributes to economic growth through technological innovation in the climate sector.

3. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

   • Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all. This is evident in the discussion of building a “holistic clean mobility ecosystem,” which includes “boosting investment in domestic battery manufacturing and charging infrastructure.”
   • Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes. The article’s focus on “clean tech” and “decarbonisation initiatives,” such as the use of bioreactors for carbon capture, directly aligns with this target.
   • Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries. The role of venture capital in backing “early-stage clean tech investments” and bringing together “R&D leaders” supports the enhancement of research and technological capabilities in India.

4. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.2: By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all. The article mentions India’s policies to “expand EV subsidies from consumer vehicles to trucks and buses” and invest in “charging infrastructure,” which are direct efforts to create sustainable transport systems in urban and rural areas.

5. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning. The article explicitly states that India has “a policy landscape which is increasingly conducive to decarbonisation initiatives,” citing government policies on EV subsidies and domestic manufacturing as examples.
   • Target 13.a: Implement the commitment undertaken by developed-country parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to a goal of mobilizing jointly $100 billion annually by 2020 from all sources to address the needs of developing countries in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation and fully operationalize the Green Climate Fund through its capitalization as soon as possible. The article’s entire theme of “clean tech venture capital” and private sector investment in climate solutions in an emerging market like India is a direct example of mobilizing finance for climate action.

6. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships. The article describes Theia Ventures’ strategy of “bringing together the entire climate tech investment ecosystem,” which includes a “wide network of entrepreneurs, R&D leaders, and investors,” exemplifying a multi-stakeholder partnership to tackle systemic challenges.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

   • Implied Indicator (for Target 7.a): The amount of private investment mobilized for clean and renewable energy technologies. The article’s focus on “clean tech venture capital” and “early-stage clean tech investments” implies that the volume and value of these investments are key metrics for progress.

2. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

   • Mentioned Indicator (for Target 9.1): Investment in infrastructure. The article specifically mentions “boosting investment in domestic battery manufacturing and charging infrastructure” as a key government initiative.
   • Implied Indicator (for Target 9.4): The number and capacity of new clean technology installations. The reference to the “build-out of bioreactors for applications such as carbon capture” suggests that tracking the development of such facilities is a measure of progress.

3. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Mentioned Indicator (for Target 11.2): Government policies and subsidies for sustainable transport. The article points to “new policies to expand EV subsidies from consumer vehicles to trucks and buses” as a direct measure of government action.

4. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Implied Indicator (for Target 13.a): Amount of private finance mobilized for climate change mitigation. The article centers on venture capital firms like Theia Ventures, whose primary function is to channel private funds into climate solutions, making this a core implied indicator.

5. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • Implied Indicator (for Target 17.17): Number of multi-stakeholder partnerships created. Theia Ventures’ work in “forging new connections within its wide network of entrepreneurs, R&D leaders, and investors” implies that the formation of these collaborative networks is a key outcome and measure of success.

4. SDGs, Targets and Indicators Table

Source: felixonline.co.uk