Climate change and environmental degradation place significant stress on India’s biodiversity, food supply, water and energy security, and human health. The private sector will play a critical role in achieving these objectives, particularly growth-oriented entrepreneurship that can bring new ideas into practice, introduce technical innovations, and create demand for new environmentally friendly goods and services. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), green entrepreneurs address climate change and/or create a positive environmental value either through the process of delivering products/services (e.g., utilizing clean technologies) or by working in a green sector (e.g., waste management). Such entrepreneurs tackle climate change from multiple angles.

This report establishes a baseline understanding of the state of green entrepreneurship in India by assessing existing business models, the available financial and technical support for entrepreneurs, and key sectoral issues regarding the policy landscape and market opportunity. The purpose of the study is to inform decision-makers, such as policymakers, donors, investors, and business development service providers, of the primary trends, opportunities, and challenges in the green entrepreneurial ecosystem in India.

“Firms in developing countries struggle to recruit effective employees, due in part to their reliance on traditional recruitment networks such as family, friends, and referrals. This can limit the quantity and quality of potential hires and constrain the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). These hiring constraints can also limit employment opportunities for job seekers, especially in countries where SMEs employ a large share of the labor force. This research examines the impact of online job portals on reducing hiring frictions in the Indian labor market, using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) methodology. The study finds that firms in developing countries are more likely to fill a job vacancy when they receive both online job portal interventions, compared to receiving only larger applicant pools or identity verification services. Firms in the joint treatment group were 68% more likely to hire workers from the portal than firms in the control group, and these firms are more likely to hire overall across all recruitment methods. The study suggests that online job portals can provide a source for suitable employees outside of traditional networks, especially for smaller employers who may have less capacity to screen applicants. The authors highlight the importance of addressing multiple recruitment challenges in tandem for online job portals to alleviate constraints on recruitment in emerging markets.”

The damaging effects of climate change in India are all-encompassing, threatening agriculture and food supplies, energy security, water security, and public health. To ameliorate climate and environmental challenges, India has committed to a green economic transition through various government policies and initiatives. India has the the world’s third largest entrepreneurial ecosystem after the United States and China, and an increasing number of sustainability-oriented startups, investors, incubators, and accelerators in India is shaping a vibrant green ecosystem. This report examines the ecosystem of support for green entrepreneurs in India. Using data collected via surveys and desk research, this snapshot report uncovers important challenges and opportunities for green entrepreneurship to inform stakeholders of how to better support the development of India’s green economy.

Enterprise growth in the developing world is often constrained by capital, lack of training and skilled labor, market frictions and a general difficulty in identifying ventures with greater growth potential. In the case of women, entrepreneurship or self-employment is constrained further by several additional factors, such as lower levels of education and skills acquisition, restricted mobility, a higher burden of care work and social norms regarding appropriate work for women. The expansion of e-commerce and internet access in recent years has led us to investigate if digital technology could be leveraged in our setting to improve these skilled women’s access to wider product markets and enhance their earnings. This project update shares the methodology used to address this research question and early insights that have emerged so far.

"A Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) lançou o Fundo Avançado para o Empoderamento das Mulheres (AWEF, na sigla em inglês) em 2019 com o apoio da Visa Foundation e da Agência dos Estados Unidos para o Desenvolvimento Internacional (USAID). O objetivo geral dos projetos financiados pelo AWEF é abordar a lacuna de gênero para financiamento para pequenas empresas em crescimento (SGBs)1 pertencentes a mulheres em economias em desenvolvimento. A primeira rodada de grantmaking, a AWEF Asia, financiou oito organizações de apoio a empreendedores (ESOs) no Camboja, Vietnã, Mianmar, Filipinas, Paquistão e Índia, bem como programas que servem a região como um todo."

"L’Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) a lancé l’Advancing Women’s Empowerment Fund (AWEF) en 2019 avec le soutien de la Fondation Visa et de l’Agence Américaine pour le Développement International (USAID). L’objectif global des projets financés par l’AWEF est de combler l’écart de financement entre les sexes pour les petites entreprises en croissance (PEC) tenues par des femmes dans les économies en développement. La première série de subventions, AWEF Asie, a financé huit organisations de soutien aux entrepreneurs (OSE) au Cambodge, Vietnam, Myanmar, Philippines, Pakistan et en Inde, ainsi que des programmes desservant la région dans son ensemble."

"La Red Aspen de Emprendedores para el Desarrollo (ANDE, por sus siglas en inglés) lanzó el Fondo para el Avance del Empoderamiento de las Mujeres (AWEF, por sus siglas en inglés) en 2019 con apoyo de la Fundación Visa y la Agencia de los Estados Unidos para el Desarrollo Internacional (USAID). La meta general de los proyectos fundados por el AWEF es abordar la brecha de género en términos de financiamiento para pequeños negocios en crecimiento (PEC)1 propiedad de mujeres en economías en desarrollo. La primera ronda de entrega de donativos, AWEF Asia, financió a ocho organizaciones de apoyo a emprendedores (OAE) en Camboya, Vietnam, Myanmar, Filipinas, Pakistán e India, así como programas apoyando a la región en su conjunto."

"The Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) launched the Advancing Women’s Empowerment Fund (AWEF) in 2019 with support from the Visa Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The overall goal of AWEF-funded projects is to address the gender financing gap for women-owned small and growing businesses (SGBs) in developing economies. The first round of grantmaking, AWEF Asia, funded eight entrepreneur support organizations (ESOs) in Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, the Philippines, Pakistan, and India, as well as programs serving the region as a whole. This report summarizes the lessons learned from these grants."

"India has been slow to get its act together on climate change and it was only in 2021, at the COP26 summit in Glasgow, that we agreed to pursue a goal of net zero emissions as a country. Private investment is crucial to meeting India’s climate goals and while progress was made this year, this is much more to be done. This report, The State of Climate Finance in India 2022, is our second annual stock-taking of India and its climate action priorities. We review the progress in climate action from an Indian perspective, and focus on what it means for the world of climate finance. We invite readers of this report to draw from the insights and the findings of this report to advance their climate action aims, and also invite you all to reach out to us to connect and engage in mainstream climate finance in India and the region."

"Endeavor Insight partnered with the Lemelson Foundation and Small Foundation to understand how entrepreneurial agriculture companies can maximize their impact in developing countries. The purpose of the study is to provide a data-backed assessment of the challenges and opportunities for supporting entrepreneurs. Endeavor Insight’s approach used several lenses, including a special focus on the types of innovation the founders have created, as well as an analysis of the dynamics within selected agricultural value chains. The results offer guidance for decision makers who support entrepreneurs as they address the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially in raising the incomes of smallholder farmers and alleviating poverty, creating transformative solutions that can address global food security, and generating quality jobs. This study builds on recent research in the international development and social investment communities, and takes into account the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis."