About CRID
A team that has been part of both ecosystems.
We've worked in think tanks and we've built startups. CRID exists because we know exactly where the gap is — and how to close it.
Why We Started
The gap no one was filling.
India ranks 3rd globally in SaaS and 5th in climate tech. But 85% of Indian climate tech VC funding has gone to Power and Mobility, covering only 45% of India's emissions. The remaining 55% remains largely untouched.
The problem is not money. Patient capital exists in India but it is locked inside universities and think tanks. It is not talent either. Deep-tech startups could be the disruptors, but they are not. The problem is coordination.
Think tanks identify the right problems but lack execution. Startups execute well but often miss the most meaningful problems. Government needs translational capacity to convert research into deployable policy. No one is stitching these pieces together.
CRID was founded by a team that has been part of both worlds: researchers who have built companies, and founders who have done policy work. We are the missing layer — the systems integrator that converts research into sector-by-sector decarbonisation at national scale.
Our Approach
How we work.
Cross-domain research + systems integration, applied sector by sector.
Conduct Cross-Domain Research
- Build national missions and plans for each sector
- Identify meaningful problem statements for startups
- Support seasoned professionals (35+) turning into entrepreneurs
Design & Execute Strategic Pilots
- Align all major stakeholders — government, industry, academia
- Design national-level pilots strategically
- Deliver proof-of-concept at meaningful scale
Advocate & Scale
- Advocate proven nodes of implementation to policymakers
- Attract climate finance for growth
- Graduate startups from CRID ecosystem
The Team
Blended team. Real experience.
Collectively 100+ years of experience. 6 founding journeys. Thinkers, founders, operators, engineers, and policy professionals.
Dr. Pardeep Garg
CEO
IISc, Bangalore
Leads CRID's overall vision and strategy. Brings deep expertise in climate technology and systems thinking to bridge India's decarbonisation gap.
Sankalp Purwar
Lead Climate Officer
Delhi College of Engineering
Leads CRID's climate strategy and partnerships with government and industry stakeholders, driving the systems-integration agenda across programmes.
Prashant Kumar
CTO
MIT, Boston
Chief Technology Officer overseeing CRID's technology assessment, pilot design, and research methodology.
Dr. Prasenjit Kabi
Chief Research Officer
University of Toronto
Chief Research Officer leading CRID's evidence-based approach to industrial heat mapping and decarbonisation pathway analysis.
Dr. Madhavi Swamy
Chief Agri-Tech
Johns Hopkins, US
Leads CRID's agriculture decarbonisation programmes including the National Mission on Dehydrators and post-harvest waste reduction.
Dr. Ravi Singh
Senior Consultant
IISc, Bangalore
Senior consultant contributing to industrial heat mapping and technology assessment for CRID's hard-to-abate sector programmes.
Want to work with CRID?
Whether you're a funder, government body, industry partner, or researcher — there's a role for you.
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