TiE Delhi-NCR’s Sustainability Summit 2023 Pledges Greener Future

With the mission to fuel the spirit of sustainability, in the backdrop of India’s commitment to achieve a Net Zero emission target by 2070, TiE Delhi-NCR hosted the Sustainability Summit. The conference brought together startup founders, investors, policymakers, and relevant stakeholders to discuss and deliberate on innovations and solutions to build a sustainable future.  

Speaking at the event, Anjali Kumar, chief sustainability officer of Zomato said “Zomato's mission is better food for more people. We are committed to becoming a net zero company by 2033, that is across the value chain. We are committed to 100 per cent EV-based deliveries. As of now 1/5 of deliveries in Delhi and Bengaluru are EV-based, we're growing that programme rapidly. We have 26000 EV-based delivery partners and more than 70 partnerships, all facilitated by start-ups born out of networks like TiE Delhi-NCR. Grateful to the start-up economy to help us achieve our sustainability targets.” 

The summit is part of TiE Delhi-NCR's commitment to put a spotlight on start-ups making a dent in the sustainability sector. The discussions dived deep into various aspects of sustainability, including food and water innovation, sustainable manufacturing and environments, mobility solutions, and more. The aim behind the summit was to bring business success and environmental responsibility together, opening doors to exciting possibilities and business opportunities. 

“Sustainability is in our DNA. We are committed to being CO2-neutral by 2050. We have invested 250 USD to buy sustainable aviation fuel in the coming years.  Lufthansa Group is amongst the top 5 customers in the world buying sustainable aviation fuel - SAF. The group has invested 2.5. billion euros to buy 200 cutting edge aircraft that will help in reducing 30 per cent emissions on every flight.” said Sangeeta Sharma, general manager sales-South Asia, Lufthansa Group at the conference.

To help India’s cause towards becoming Net Zero, Sudhakar Kesavan- former chairman and CEO of ICF Global; Chairman, Chandrakanta Kesavan Center for Energy Policy and Climate Solutions suggested - “We need to develop institutional mechanisms to teach sustainability at every level - primary, high school as well as college. It is a tremendous opportunity for us to look at ways in which we can accelerate the process of sustainability.” 

Talking about the summit, Geetika Dayal, executive director of TiE Delhi-NCR, said, "With climate change impacting us all over the world, environment-friendly and sustainable practices have taken center stage. At TiE Delhi-NCR, it's been our endeavor to contribute towards the cause, by reducing paper printing and eliminating the use of plastic bottles at our conferences. We've taken this resolve a step further with this summit by bringing together relevant stakeholders of the ecosystem. Our aim is to dive deep into possible innovations by startups that can move us towards a greener and more efficient future." 

TiE Delhi-NCR is among the most active and vibrant chapters across the vast TiE network. In the last two decades, it has continuously taken the lead in creating an increasingly positive ecosystem for entrepreneurs and investors.