SusMafia’s Anirudh Gupta on How the Unlikely “Mafia” is Leading India’s Climate Innovation Wave

When we think of climate action, we often imagine policy panels or high-level pledges. But Anirudh Gupta, Director at The Sustainability Mafia (SusMafia), is keen on flipping the script—quite literally. What began as a support group for lonely climate founders in 2017 has grown into one of India’s most dynamic grassroots movements, according to industry experts. In this exclusive conversation with Local Samosa, Anirudh shares how the venture is fostering bold, founder-first climate solutions—from regenerative agriculture to waste-to-fuel innovation—through community, creativity, and collaboration. And yes, there’s even a Builder Room.

The Origin and Ethos of a Climate-Driven Venture

What can inspire the founding of something like SusMafia? We asked Anirudh about how its mission has evolved since the early days. “The Sustainability Mafia or SusMafia began as a lifeline for India’s climate tech founders in 2017, who were working on challenges and bold problems but often felt isolated and unsupported. These early meetings evolved into a trust-driven network of like-minded individuals sharing advice and resilience. Over time, it has become one of India’s fastest-growing grassroots climate communities, with 80+ climate entrepreneurs  (who we call Mafiosos) committed to climate action.” He mentions that programs like SusVentures, Climate Ninja, and Investados have been launched to move from peer support to resource-backed collaboration, offering funding, mentorship, and connections.

It is not a new thought that grassroots movements can often feel scattered. What can make a difference is how brands are building climate communities from the ground up. “We focus on trust-first, founder-led communities and instead of top-down programs, we build from the ground up; starting with small, high-trust groups, then layering in structure through initiatives like SusVentures and Climate Ninja,” quips Anirudh. “We meet people where they are, right from students to startups and professionals, and connect them through shared purpose, mentorship, and real opportunities to act on climate.” Currently, the brand is leading over 80+ entrepreneurs (whom they call Mafiosos) all-in on climate action, forever, united by a core shared value of ‘Give more than you Get’.

Even the name 'SusMafia' is intriguing and unconventional. But what does it represent in the context of climate action? “The company blends sustainability with the idea of a tight-knit, mission-driven crew. We chose it deliberately to signal trust, loyalty, and bold, coordinated action. As a grassroots collective of climate founders, we believe solving the climate crisis requires radical collaboration. Like a mafia, but for good, we’ve got each other’s backs and work to make sustainability the norm, not the niche”, clarifies the Director.

From Climate Talk to Climate Action

The venture’s SusCrunch 2025 was pitched as an “un-conference” while removing traditional structures like keynotes and panels. “We designed SusCrunch 2025 as an 'un-conference' to break away from passive, top-down formats like keynotes and panels. Climate solutions need collaboration, not just presentations. By removing hierarchy, slides, keynotes, and pitch decks, we created space for real conversations, peer-led sessions, open sharing, and co-creation. The goal was simple: less talking at, more building together,” addresses Anirudh.

A highlight at SusCrunch 2025 was the Builder Room — a dynamic, highly interactive format where 24 selected innovators and founders, spanning sectors like Alternative Bio, Climate Finance, Circularity, and Renewable Energy, presented their core business challenges directly to investors and corporate leaders. Designed as a hands-on, problem-solving environment, the Builder Room enabled immediate, action-oriented collaboration between startups and industry decision-makers. According to Anirudh, this hands-on format led to real-time partnerships and actionable solutions.

The Maturity of India’s Climate Innovation Landscape

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The shift from panel discussions to hands-on co-creation marks a turning point in India’s climate innovation landscape, signalling a move from talk to tangible action. Like a workshop replacing a seminar, it reflects a sector ready to build, not just brainstorm. Anirudh thinks that this shift reflects a growing maturity in India’s climate innovation landscape. “We’ve come a long way, moving beyond awareness building to action. Founders, enablers and talent no longer want to listen; they want to build, solve and co-create. It shows that there are tailwinds in the sector, and that the ecosystem is ready for deeper engagement, where everyone brings something to the table and co-creates impactful solutions.”

So, naturally, Local Samosa asked him about what changes these unconferences made in the real world. “What this does is lead to real outcomes, such as startup founders finding co-founders, pilots getting launched, and collaborations forming across sectors. By removing barriers and siloed speeches, we’ve seen room develop for quicker action and trust building. Essentially, it leads to grassroots ideas turning into tangible solutions and real projects. For example, at SusCrunch this year, the SusVentures Big Pi Grant Pitch Finale brought the day’s energy to a peak. Five early-stage startups pitched breakthrough innovations, from waste-to-energy platforms to AI-powered bio-sensing tools. The winning startup received a Rs. 31.4 lakh grant, co-sponsored by PIEDS, the business incubator of BITS Pilani,” mentions the Director.

Anirudh also shared the featured innovations that were included. A platform converting plastic and biomass waste into standardised pyrolysis oil, offering a scalable fossil fuel alternative. And a biotech startup using engineered microbes and AI to detect pollutants, drug residues, and pathogens with unprecedented precision.

Innovation, Funding and India’s Climate Tech Culture

India’s “missing middle” in climate tech refers to a critical funding and support gap—ventures that are too advanced for student-led programs but too early for traditional VCs. Anirudh explains, “India’s missing middle, akin to the ‘valley of death’, refers to ventures that are far too mature for student-led programs but too early for traditional VCs. We fill this gap by offering founder-first support: non-dilutive grants, mentorship, pilot opportunities, and community capital helping startups across that tough middle stretch.”

The venture is on a mission to actively shift climate innovation beyond purely app-based solutions toward systemic, hardware-driven, and regenerative models. “We consciously support a wide range of climate solutions that go beyond just apps by focusing on systemic, hardware-driven, and regenerative models. Through one of our initiatives—the SusVentures program—we equip motivated founders to launch their own ideas,” he remarks.

Partnerships with institutes like BITS Pilani are essential for tapping into India’s next generation of climate innovators. “It’s crucial because it gives us direct access to India’s most exciting and young motivated talent who are eager to tackle India’s climate challenges. We look to back founders and ideas focused on bold solutions, and those who are resilient and mission-driven—willing to go beyond solving surface-level problems and aiming for systemic impact,” he clarifies.

Supporting climate startups requires a different kind of capital, beyond traditional venture funding models. Anirudh elaborates, “What’s needed is patient, non-dilutive capital like grants, accelerators, and early-stage seed funding, combined with access to pilots and expert mentorship. This kind of support helps startups de-risk their technology and build credibility before scaling. SusMafia has mobilised ~Rs. 1 crore in non-dilutive grants and long-term backing through partners like Spectrum Impact, Dabur, BITS Pilani, and PIEDS.”

Culture, Community and Collaboration

The “Give > Get” philosophy seems to be a core part of the SusCrunch and SusMafia culture, and it’s sustained through trust and reciprocity across the network. Anirudh comments, “‘Give > Get’ is at the heart of everything we do. We sustain this culture by building trust and reciprocity and encouraging members to share knowledge, connections, and support. What’s emerged is a network where collaboration trumps competition, and value flows organically through trust.”

A new kind of vulnerability and openness is emerging in climate leadership, as seen in formats like the ‘Climate Sitdown’. “This kind of openness, like we saw in the Climate Sitdown, is critical because climate leadership can’t afford to be distant or performative anymore. When leaders like Mirik Gogri and Manoj Meena sit shoulder-to-shoulder with young founders and speak vulnerably about their journeys, it builds real trust. It shows that building climate solutions is hard, messy, and human—and that’s exactly the kind of honest dialogue we need to inspire and sustain the next generation of founders,” he notes.

Mentorship, pilot opportunities, and funding often emerge organically from such events thanks to a focus on mission alignment and authentic interaction. The Director states that they’ve always focused on curating the right mix of people who are aligned by mission rather than metrics. “Instead of over-structuring interactions, we’d rather do workshops or have candid conversations, and that’s when the unexpected happens: mentors step up, pilots emerge, and funders lean in. It’s more about meaningful collisions rather than orchestration.”

What’s the Future of India’s Climate Innovation?

One of the most exciting trends in India’s climate ecosystem today is the shift toward system-level solutions rather than symptom-level fixes. Anirudh responds, “Right now, we’re most excited about climate solutions that tackle systems, not just symptoms. In India, that means focusing on spaces like regenerative agriculture, decentralised renewable energy, cooling/thermal comfort, and circular models for waste, textiles, and packaging—areas rooted in local urgency and global relevance. We’re seeing a shift toward solutions that are hardware-based, rooted in traditional knowledge, and designed with circularity from the start.” And, he adds, that what’s even more exciting is the rise of interdisciplinary approaches where climate tech meets design, community, and storytelling. That’s the kind of innovation we believe India can lead on.

Existing institutions—corporates, universities, and government—have a crucial role to play in supporting early-stage climate builders through deeper collaboration. “There is massive potential in moving beyond passive support to active collaboration. Early-stage climate builders don’t just need capital, they need access: to infrastructure, testing grounds, real-world pilots, and long-term mentorship,” mentions the Director.

He says that Universities, like BITS Pilani, are showing how academic spaces can become launchpads for climate ventures through hands-on programs. “Corporations can open up supply chains, distribution, or even data to help de-risk innovation. And the government can create flexible regulatory pathways and grant-based funding that supports IP-heavy, long-gestation ideas. Ultimately, institutions need to embrace co-creation, working with founders, not just funding them, to truly accelerate systemic change. The next couple of years will be crucial as students, thinkers, enablers and founders look to shift entire paradigms, systems and ways of thinking.”

Over the next 3 to 5 years, the company aims to become a key driver of India’s climate innovation ecosystem. “We see SusMafia evolving into the backbone of India’s climate innovation ecosystem, a trusted network that helps early-stage climate founders go from idea to impact. Our long-term vision is to launch and support 1000+ climate ventures, back mission-driven talent, and shape the key problem spaces that can move the needle on India’s climate goals. We want to create a space where bold climate solutions are born, and scaled, with community, capital, and collaboration built in,” concludes Anirudh.