What India Climate Collaborative does

The India Climate Collaborative (ICC), also known as the Council of Philanthropies for Climate Action (CPCA), is a Mumbai-based non-profit established in 2020 that operates as an ecosystem enabler for climate philanthropy in India. It convenes Indian philanthropists, corporations, NGOs, and government bodies to direct coordinated capital toward Indian climate priorities, supported by a founding cohort that includes Ratan Tata, Rohini Nilekani, Anand Mahindra, and Nadir Godrej, with a Board chaired by Siddharth Sharma, CEO of Tata Trusts. ICC organizes its work across four programmatic pillars: India Climate Leaders (a senior convening platform), Earth Exponential (an ecosystem-building platform for climate innovators and corporates), Sectors Catalyst (sector-level funding and intelligence), and Funds Advisory (donor advisory and capital aggregation).

The organization's core product surfaces include Earth Exponential, launched in July 2023 to connect vetted climate solution providers with funders and corporates; the Harit Bharat Fund, a joint venture with WRI India launched in September 2023 to direct philanthropic capital to high-priority climate states (Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh); and the Climate Risk Atlas, a district-level climate vulnerability dataset co-developed with the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW). ICC also runs advocacy and convening tracks including the India Climate Leaders Meet (held July 2024 with Climate Group) and international briefings at Climate Week NYC, COP, and other forums. Technology appears limited to a partner directory and convening infrastructure rather than a proprietary platform with AI/ML components.

The business model is donor-funded non-profit operations, with revenue derived from philanthropic contributions by ultra-high-net-worth Indian families and institutional grantmakers, supplemented by advisory mandates for foundations and corporates. Capital deployed through vehicles like the Harit Bharat Fund flows through joint structures with WRI India rather than through ICC itself, making ICC's revenue more accurately characterized as grant and advisory income rather than a transactional fee stream. ICC serves two primary segments: large Indian philanthropic families and institutional foundations seeking coordinated climate deployment strategies (donor side), and climate NGOs, climate-tech startups, and corporate ESG teams seeking access to capital and networks (deployer side).

Name

India Climate Collaborative

Legal name

Council of Philanthropies for Climate Action

Website

https://indiaclimatecollaborative.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The India Climate Collaborative is a Mumbai-based non-profit founded in 2020 that convenes Indian philanthropists, corporates, and climate NGOs to direct coordinated capital toward India's climate priorities across four programmatic pillars including Earth Exponential and the Harit Bharat Fund.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Climate Philanthropy Advisory and Ecosystem Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation (BPAGAGAF), Climate Finance Strategy (CapEx planning, green finance, incentives & grants) (EUABAKAG), Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation & Resilience Programs (BPAIAMAD)

Keywords

• Climate philanthropy
• Climate finance advisory
• Corporate CSR advisory
• Climate project platform
• Nonprofit climate ecosystem

Headquarters

HQ city

Mumbai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Grants and Donations: ICC operates as a non-profit organization (registered as CPCA under Section 8 of the Companies Act 2013) that receives philanthropic capital from donors to fund its operations and climate programs.
2. Program Services: ICC provides advisory services to philanthropists on climate giving, helps corporations design CSR climate strategies, and facilitates connections between funders and non-profits through the Earth Exponential platform.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

India Climate Collaborative (legally the Council of Philanthropies for Climate Action) is a Section 8 non-profit that operates as a climate philanthropy ecosystem enabler in India. It advises philanthropists new to climate giving, surfaces catalytic climate priorities aligned with India's development pathways, and operates four programmatic pillars — India Climate Leaders, Earth Exponential (a digital platform connecting funders to vetted non-profit projects), Sectors Catalyst (cross-sectoral research including the Climate Risk Atlas), and Funds Advisory (pooled grant mechanisms such as the Harit Bharat Fund for land restoration).

Product overview

India Climate Collaborative operates as a climate philanthropy platform organization with multiple interconnected programmatic pillars. The core offerings include: (1) Earth Exponential, a Climate Solutions Platform that digitally connects funders with vetted non-profits implementing high-impact climate projects; (2) India Climate Leaders, which builds a network of climate philanthropists through convenings; (3) Sectors Catalyst, enabling cross-sectoral climate investments including the Climate Risk Atlas tool; (4) Funds Advisory, pooling grants for systemic climate action including the Harit Bharat Fund for land restoration. These products work together to unlock philanthropic capital flows, surface climate priorities, and build connective infrastructure for impactful funding in India.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Earth Exponential: A first-of-its-kind digital platform launched in July 2023 that displays high-impact, ready-to-fund climate projects sourced and evaluated from reputed non-profits. The platform supports non-profits in building concept notes and proposals tailored for CSR funders.
• Harit Bharat Fund

Products and services

• Earth Exponential (Climate Solutions Platform) A digital platform that displays high-impact, ready-to-fund climate projects from reputed non-profits, helps non-profits build concept notes and proposals tailored to CSR funders, and connects funders to vetted implementing organisations for high-impact climate action in India.
• India Climate Leaders

Quantifiable outcome

• 3 in 4 districts in India identified as climate risk hotspots
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• World Resources Institute (WRI) IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023ICC partnered with WRI India to co-develop and co-lead the Harit Bharat Fund, a collaborative initiative for locally-led land restoration in India. The consortium also includes Transforming Rural India Foundation, Sangam Ventures, Spectrum Impact, Pune Knowledge Cluster, with support from the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India and Manthan. Launched in September 2023.
• MakeMyTrip FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2023MakeMyTrip Foundation was connected to VIKAS Centre for Development through ICC's Earth Exponential platform. The Foundation funded VIKAS CFD's Great Green Wall of Gujarat mangrove restoration project, with an MoU signed in July 2023. ICC facilitated the introduction, proposal refinement, and due diligence process.
• Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2020ICC seeded CEEW's effort to build the Climate Risk Atlas in November 2020. CEEW developed the Climate Vulnerability Index and the Climate Risk Atlas toolkit that maps local climate risks at 25-km granularity. ICC continues to work with CEEW on climate-proofing infrastructure and nature-based solutions.
• EdelGive FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEdelGive Foundation partners with ICC on multiple initiatives including the Climate Risk Atlas documentary 'Faces of Climate Resilience', the GROW4Climate Fund, and various convenings. EdelGive's CEO Naghma Mulla is on ICC's Board of Directors.
• Rohini Nilekani PhilanthropiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRohini Nilekani Philanthropies co-hosted the inaugural India Climate Leaders Meet with ICC and Rainmatter Foundation in July 2024. Rohini Nilekani is one of ICC's founding philanthropists.
• Rainmatter FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRainmatter Foundation (Zerodha-supported initiative) co-hosted the inaugural India Climate Leaders Meet with ICC and Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies in July 2024. Rainmatter Foundation has adopted a climate lens to all grant-making.
• The Nand & Jeem Khemka FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Nand & Jeet Khemka Foundation co-hosted the National Impacts and Adaptation Convening with ICC in August 2024, focusing on the role of philanthropy in climate adaptation research, planning, and implementation.
• CSRBOXminorGTM or Marketing PartnerICC partnered with CSRBOX to organize a Corporate Roundtable on 'Demystifying Carbon Financing: The Catalytic Role of CSR' as part of the 12th Edition of the India CSR & ESG Summit in October 2025.
• World Resources Institute (WRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWRI's President and CEO Ani Dasgupta provided context setting remarks at ICC's Climate Week NYC breakfast briefing. WRI and ICC collaborate on climate risk assessment and adaptation initiatives.
• IEEFAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIEEFA co-organized the panel discussion 'Moving Billions, Unlocking Trillions' with ICC, E3G, and EdelGive Foundation in December 2023 at Expo City Dubai.
• E3GminorGTM or Marketing PartnerE3G co-organized the panel discussion 'Moving Billions, Unlocking Trillions' with ICC, IEEFA, and EdelGive Foundation in December 2023 at Expo City Dubai.
• ClimateGroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimate Group partnered with ICC-EdelGive Foundation Alliance, Stichting SED Fund, and We Mean Business Coalition to launch the India Net Zero Steel Demand Outlook Report as part of the SteelZero initiative.
• Development AlternativescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICC co-hosted a panel discussion 'Nadi Kinare Chaupal' with Development Alternatives during the 11th edition of TARAgram Yatra 2024, focusing on community-led climate action along the River Betwa in Orchha, Madhya Pradesh.
• Coalition on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDRI and CEEW announced a partnership to mainstream climate-proofing infrastructure through research and knowledge sharing in CDRI member countries. ICC's work with CEEW contributed to this partnership and CDRI's Global Infrastructure Resilience Report (2023).

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• World Resources Institute (WRI): Global research organisation operating across climate, forests, water and energy; a core ICC partner (co-leads Harit Bharat Fund) and the closest broad incumbent that combines data, convening and grant-funded programme work.
• The Rockefeller Foundation: Global philanthropic foundation with a substantial climate programme that funds ICC's Climate Week NYC convenings and broader climate-finance work — comparable as a large-scale climate philanthropy funder and convener.
• MacArthur Foundation: Major global foundation with significant climate-finance and India portfolios; MacArthur's Deputy India Director sits on ICC's board, making it a natural broad-incumbent peer and aligned funder for ICC's work.

Direct peers

• Good Energies Foundation: Climate and clean-energy philanthropic foundation that funds and convenes partners to accelerate the energy transition — comparable to ICC's combination of grantmaking, convening and CSR advisory for climate in a single geography.
• Climate Policy Initiative (CPI): Climate-finance focused policy analysis and advisory organisation that tracks and shapes climate capital flows — directly comparable to ICC's work on climate finance strategy, CSR catalytic capital and pooled funds advisory.
• ClimateWorks Foundation: Global climate philanthropy collaborative that pools and deploys philanthropic capital across climate mitigation, adaptation and forests — directly comparable to ICC's role as an India-focused climate philanthropy enabler with multiple programmatic pillars.
• EdelGive Foundation: Indian philanthropic foundation that is a core ICC partner (multiple joint initiatives, board representation) and operates an adjacent philanthropic-collaborative model targeting climate, gender and education in India.

Regional players

• TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute): India-based research and policy institute working across climate, energy and sustainability — a regional peer that shares ICC's India focus and convening role across government, industry and civil society.
• Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW): India-based policy research institution that co-developed ICC's Climate Risk Atlas — the most natural regional peer given shared project portfolio, board-level engagement and joint publications on Indian climate vulnerability.

Emerging players

• Climate Imperative: Philanthropic collaborative focused on accelerating climate-policy action by pooling donor capital — an emerging direct peer to ICC's philanthropic collaborative model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/india-climate-collaborative

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about India Climate Collaborative