Ajaita Shah Empowering Rural Women as Clean Energy Ambassadors
Founder of Frontier Markets, Ajaita Shah transformed a rural distribution network into a climate action force. Her innovation? Recruiting local women Sahelis to deliver solar lamps, clean cookstoves, and sustainable products directly to underserved villages.
But her impact goes beyond distribution. These women are trained in financial literacy, product education, and community engagement, becoming climate educators who run workshops and break social barriers around clean energy adoption.
Result: Women aren’t just beneficiaries, they’re active agents of change, bridging technology and tradition to accelerate India’s energy transition.
Victoria Joslin D’Souza , Turning Waste into Wealth with Swachha Eco Solutions
From Mysuru to Bengaluru’s sustainability circuit, Victoria Joslin D’Souza built Swachha Eco Solutions, a professional recycling enterprise empowering NGOs and waste pickers.
Swachha refurbishes municipal dry waste units, turning them into functional recycling hubs that process 110,000+ tonnes of plastic. Their innovations like Retile plastic tiles and Repolymix road blends embed recycled plastic into construction materials.
With 60% of its workforce being women, many former waste pickers, Swachha offers dignified jobs and long-term economic mobility.
Gayathri Kuppendra Reddy Fueling Deeptech Climate Startups with NOW Venture Studio
Blending infrastructure, sustainability, and entrepreneurship, Gayathri Kuppendra Reddy launched NOW Venture Studio (No Other World) in 2024 India’s first deeptech-focused climate venture studio.
NOW supports early-stage founders with funding, mentorship, market access, and research partnerships, already attracting 1,500+ startup applications and 130+ investment partners in under a year.
Through initiatives like the Women Climate Initiative, she ensures women are not just startup participants but leaders in climate innovation.
Divya Hegde Cleaning Oceans While Creating Coastal Livelihoods
When Divya Hegde saw more plastic than fish being brought ashore in Karnataka, she founded Baeru Environmental Services to turn pollution into opportunity.
Baeru engages fishermen to collect ocean plastic, which is then sorted by women-led recycling units. Workers earn through fair wages plus profit sharing, ensuring long-term livelihood stability.
Baeru also integrates local arts like Yakshagana and puppetry to spread climate awareness while offering mental health support to women overcoming social stigma in waste work.
Final word
These women are not just building businesses, they are building systems of resilience. Their models prove a powerful truth:
“When women lead climate action, the impact multiplies socially, economically, and environmentally”.
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