EcoHub.IN

Check eligibility before you apply

• You need a working product or service that is deployed or ready for deployment. Ideas and prototypes without an MVP are not a fit.
• Apply as a founding team. Single-founder sole proprietorships are generally not preferred.
• Your enterprise must be registered in India, or in the process of formal registration, and must work mainly in India.

How applications work

• Log in or create an account first. The Pitch Application Form is completed after you log in.
• Cohort 1 applications closed on 22 July 2026. The site does not say when the next cohort opens, so check the apply page before planning.
• Late applications may be considered at the programme's discretion, but selection is not guaranteed.

Read the agreement before you apply

• The incubation agreement template includes a 12-month non-compete after the incubation period, a two-year restriction on recruiting mentors introduced through the programme, and conditions under which funding can be repaid.
• Funding depends on milestones and reporting. Read the terms and conditions as well as the agreement.

What reviewers look for

• A clearly stated real-world problem in climate, pollution or circularity.
• Evidence of current or projected demand, and customers who want the product or have shown clear intent to adopt it.
• A business that can scale across geographies, customer segments or market contexts, rather than a narrow, location-bound solution.

EcoHub.IN is an incubator and accelerator for early-stage Small and Growing Businesses (SGBs) in India that work on climate, pollution and circularity problems. The Foundation for Resilience Actions, a not-for-profit, implements the programme, and Re Sustainability Group funds it as part of its corporate social responsibility work. The programme is in person and based in Hyderabad.

How the programme works

Selected enterprises join six months of structured incubation. The programme has four parts: an upskilling engine for technical, business and leadership skills, an upscaling platform for the move to commercial success, a mentor network of practitioners who have made the same climb, and a bridge to capital that covers investment readiness and introductions to investors. The first cohort, FY 2026-27, runs from October 2026 to March 2027. Graduates join an alumni community of incubated businesses, mentors and ecosystem partners. It offers peer learning, continued access to mentors, introductions for joint pilots and co-bidding, and visibility to impact investors and corporate innovation teams.

Incubated enterprises also receive a monthly honorarium for the six months and may be offered non-dilutive catalytic funding for real-world implementation. The site states that 0% equity is taken. The incubation agreement says the funding does not give the foundation any equity, convertible instrument, revenue share or ownership in the business. Catalytic funding is at the foundation's discretion and depends on milestones and reporting, so it is not a guaranteed grant.

Who can apply

EcoHub.IN is for enterprises in what it calls the missing middle. These are businesses too small or too early for bank finance or venture capital, but too ambitious for microfinance or bootstrapping. Applicants need a working product or service that is deployed in the market or ready for deployment, a commercial scale ambition, a committed founding team, and a real climate, pollution or circularity problem to solve. Ideas and prototypes without a minimum viable product are not a fit. Single-founder sole proprietorships are generally not preferred.

Only Indian startups and founders can apply. The enterprise must be registered in India, or in the process of formal registration, and must work mainly in India. Enterprises that already have mainstream bank finance, venture or private equity backing, or revenue that no longer needs catalytic support, are unlikely to be a fit.

Focus areas

The programme backs three domains. Climate change and clean-tech covers the clean energy transition, wastewater recycling and reuse, cooling and heat stress solutions, and digital carbon and climate infrastructure. Pollution management covers air, water and soil pollution monitoring and remediation, emerging pollutants, and restoration of degraded land and wetlands. Circularity covers resource efficiency, resource recovery, waste reduction, and green products with low-carbon or biodegradable materials. The lists are indicative. Innovation is read broadly and can mean a better business model, customer service model, technology or resource use.

Facilities

Incubated enterprises work from a designated workspace within the implementing foundation's office premises in Hyderabad. The pages read do not list laboratory, prototyping or manufacturing equipment.

Scale

The homepage shows counters for applications reviewed, enterprises incubated and several outcome figures. The pages do not date these counters, the outcome figures are marked to be reported, and the first cohort only starts in October 2026. This page does not repeat the counters.

Who runs it

The Foundation for Resilience Actions implements EcoHub.IN and handles applications, selection and grievances. Its office is in Hyderabad's Knowledge City. Applicants apply through the online Pitch Application Form, and the site publishes its FAQ, terms and conditions and a sample incubation agreement for download, so terms can be read before applying. The pages read do not name a leadership team or a mentor roster.