Overview

VCCircle Cleantech Investment Summit 2011

Sustainable businesses are those that are modeled to have a minimal impact on the global and local environment, community, society and the economy as a whole. So, at a granular level, it translates into each and every business decision passing through the sustainability prism. In what is now gaining momentum as the triple bottom line approach, corporate and businesses are looking at models, products, processes and services that not marry traditional financial goals of the company to the larger social and environmental goals.

VCCircle is putting together its first-ever sustainable investing summit that will focus on investment thesis and niches within this new, evolving and encompassing space. As part of the first edition, we will look at opportunities in the cleantech area, which is one of the core criteria for any sustainable business model. In our second edition, we will focus on sustainability from the social perspective. In the second edition titled, Bottom of the Pyramid, we will explore investible opportunities in various for-profit businesses that have a positive impact on the society, community and the economy.

Cleantech, the use of technologies and business models to improve performance at reduced costs with the least adverse environmental impact, is no longer a do-good rhetoric but a serious way of life for businesses straddling a variety of verticals. Cleantech is also a global phenomenon where countries are one on fighting climate change although there may be differences on emission reduction targets and so on.

 So, what is clear is that Cleantech is a business phenomenon whose time has come in a big way. Globally, companies will need to account their impact on the environment and they way they handle waste. The trend of investing in environmentally aware and sound businesses will become mainstream and sustainable.

Cleantech, by and large, covers clean energy production, storage and efficiency; waste and water management and recycling; transport solutions; material sciences (use of nano and bio materials to improve production and lower ecologicial impact), and even natural agriculture practices such as organic farming. While these are the broad areas, cleantech can be employed across a range of industries or even household activities such as rainwater harvesting techniques and building a home based on green materials. This sector is embedded in such a manner that it can change the way people, corporates and nations consume products and services.

In the Indian context, we see cleantech emerging as one of the favourite investment themes with at least a dozen global and Indian private equity funds who mean to have a significant presence in India. What they will be looking at is sustainable solutions aimed at creating low-carbon economy. In power-deficit India, energy still is the principal driver of this category of investments as coal (as opposed to renewable sources) is the main raw material used to generate power. Categories like wind, solar and hydel energy are gaining much traction in India but scalability and sustainability often pose a challenge.

Indian cities, with their enormous water and transport-related woes, must theoretically present a case of opportunities in these sectors. But, often it is tough to find viable, mainstream and investible projects. But, as nations and corporates start emphasising on the environment bottom line, it would trigger innovations and new business models downstream.

Much of this action will be triggered by global and local government policies. The key policy initiatives taken by India towards decarbonisation include the launching of a National Clean Energy Fund, generation based incentives for wind energy and also the New Coal Policy. On the global level, there is still uncertainty over the Kyoto Protocol 2012 and the market risks associated with carbon credits (certified emission reduction targets).

Are you geared to leverage the opportunities in the space? Do you want to know about the hot investment trends and sectors that are catching eyeballs in cleantech? Do you want to easily navigate the global maze of regulatory framework and protocols? Do you want to gauge the depth and width of this untapped space? Do you want to know what investors are looking for in startups to growth enterprises in the cleantech space?

VCCircle Cleantech Capital Summit 2011 is just the place to scout for business-altering solutions and critical insights into this niche and fledgling sector. VCCircle will put together over two dozen experts from the fields of climate change, PE/VC funds with a mandate to invest in cleantech enterprises and entrepreneurs who have taken some early bets on this “unmissable” business opportunity. The day-long conference aims to cover the alpha and omega of the business and investment opportunities that cleantech presents.