The third edition of ENTICE, the flagship innovation platform by the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, is inviting clean tech startups to develop non lithium energy storage and AI driven grid solutions aimed at strengthening India’s renewable energy ecosystem and accelerating the transition toward smarter, more resilient power infrastructure.
As India races to modernise its energy infrastructure and scale renewable power adoption, one challenge continues to loom large over the sector. Building a cleaner grid is no longer only about generating renewable energy. It is equally about storing it efficiently, forecasting demand accurately, and ensuring electricity networks remain stable amid growing decentralisation and rising consumption.
Against this backdrop, the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet has launched the third edition of ENTICE, or the Energy Transitions Innovation Challenge, inviting startups and innovators to develop advanced solutions capable of addressing some of the country’s most pressing grid level challenges.
Launched in partnership with Startup India under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, ENTICE 3.0 reflects a broader push toward enabling deep technology innovation within India’s evolving clean energy ecosystem.
Unlike conventional startup competitions focused primarily on ideation, ENTICE has steadily evolved into a deployment focused platform that connects innovators directly with utilities, investors, regulators, and ecosystem partners. The objective is not merely to identify promising technologies, but to help scale solutions within real world energy systems where operational validation and institutional alignment are essential.
This year’s edition focuses on two highly specific and commercially relevant problem statements.
The first seeks non lithium energy storage systems deployable at the distribution transformer voltage level to help manage local peak demand. The second calls for hyperlocal AI driven forecasting platforms capable of enabling DISCOMs to predict grid demand more accurately by integrating distributed renewable energy generation with weather linked consumption behaviour.
The emphasis on non lithium storage technologies is particularly significant at a time when global energy markets are actively searching for alternatives that reduce dependence on lithium supply chains while improving affordability, safety, and long term sustainability.
Selected winners will receive technical assistance grants of up to $100,000 along with real world deployment opportunities through partnerships with BSES Rajdhani Power Limited and Jaipur Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited. Participants will also gain access to mentorship, sector expertise, and potential funding support from investment partners engaged with the programme.
The initiative arrives at a crucial moment for India’s power sector. With renewable energy capacity expanding rapidly and distributed energy systems becoming increasingly common, utilities are under pressure to improve forecasting accuracy, maintain grid reliability, and optimise energy distribution in real time.
ENTICE’s earlier editions have already demonstrated growing industry traction. The inaugural programme reportedly attracted more than 400 applications, engaged over 20 investors, and built upwards of 30 ecosystem partnerships. The second edition deepened institutional collaboration through partnerships with utilities in Delhi and Jaipur, alongside multiple venture capital tie ups and DISCOM pilot deployments for selected winners.
The programme’s jury panel this year includes several senior leaders from the energy, finance, and sustainability ecosystem, among them Govind Iyer, Alok Kumar, and Ashish Khanna.
Commenting on the initiative, Ashish Khanna stated that accelerating innovation has become essential for achieving energy independence and building resilient power systems globally. He noted that programmes such as ENTICE play an important role in bridging the gap between deep technology innovation and practical deployment across real world energy environments.
Meanwhile, Seema Chaturvedi highlighted the growing importance of climate focused investments, describing clean technology as one of the most critical investment frontiers for long term capital allocation.
Applications for ENTICE 3.0 are currently open, with shortlisted founders expected to participate in a three day immersive bootcamp featuring mentorship, investor engagement sessions, workshops, and live pitch opportunities.
For the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, the initiative aligns with its larger mission of accelerating clean energy access and enabling sustainable economic growth across emerging markets. Founded in 2021 by The Rockefeller Foundation, IKEA Foundation, and Bezos Earth Fund, the alliance operates across more than 30 countries with ambitions to expand clean electricity access, reduce carbon emissions, and create large scale economic opportunity.
As India’s energy transition gathers momentum, programmes such as ENTICE are increasingly becoming more than innovation challenges. They are evolving into strategic platforms where technology, capital, policy, and infrastructure converge to shape the future architecture of sustainable energy systems.
