Kolkata, Aug 06: IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP), one of India’s leading startup incubators, in partnership with Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) under its CSR initiative Daimler Truck Cares, today announced implementation grants of up to ₹20 lakh each for five high-potential social enterprises selected under the DICV-IIMCIP Social Impact Incubation Programme for a Viksit Bharat. The grants will enable the startups to accelerate product deployment, strengthen market adoption and scale innovations across electric mobility, circular economy, sustainable agriculture, and digital sustainability.
The programme, launched under the strategic partnership between IIMCIP and DICV in October 2025, has supported ten high-potential social enterprises working to address critical challenges across sustainability, green mobility and community development. Through structured mentoring, expert guidance and catalytic funding, the initiative has equipped founders with the capabilities required to build sustainable and scalable businesses capable of delivering measurable social impact.
As part of the programme, each of the ten selected startups received a fellowship grant of ₹1 lakh to strengthen product development, business validation and market readiness. Following a rigorous evaluation process during the programme’s Demo Day, the top five startups have now been selected to receive implementation grants of up to ₹20 lakh each to support the next phase of enterprise growth.
The five startups selected for implementation grants are:
- LW3 Private Limited, whose Digital Product Passport platform enables lifecycle tracking of electric vehicle batteries from manufacturing to recycling.
- Serigreen Technologies Private Limited, an innovator in AI and IoT-enabled monitoring solutions for silkworm sheds and mulberry farms.
- Tooused, a reverse logistics platform advancing textile reuse and circularity.
- VRD Motors, developer of an autonomous electric tractor for precision farming.
- Accelo Innovation Private Limited, developing a modular electric vehicle platform with IoT-enabled systems for sustainable commercial mobility.
The programme culminated with the third bootcamp and Demo Day, where founders of the eight participating startups showcased the progress made during the incubation journey before a distinguished jury comprising industry leaders, investors, and representatives from DICV and IIMCIP. The programme witnessed diligent participation by the founders in intensive one-on-one mentoring sessions with domain experts and experienced mentors along with capacity-building sessions on the Art of Storytelling and How to Build a Winning Pitch. The mentoring covered business model refinement, go-to-market strategy, revenue model, financial planning, investor readiness, market validation, product roadmap development, and also included mentor clinics and mock pitch sessions.
Ajay Jain, Chairman, IIM Calcutta Innovation Park Board, said, “India’s goal of becoming a Viksit Bharat will be realised not only through technological innovation, but through entrepreneurs who are solving real societal challenges with scalable and sustainable business models. Our partnership with DICV reflects a shared commitment to nurturing founders who are creating meaningful impact while building resilient enterprises. The progress demonstrated by this cohort reinforces the immense potential of social entrepreneurship to drive inclusive economic growth and create lasting change across communities.”
Torsten Schmidt, Managing Director & CEO, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles said, “We believe that sustainable nation-building requires empowering innovators who are solving real challenges at the grassroots level. Through our partnership with IIM Calcutta Innovation Park, we are supporting social entrepreneurs who are creating scalable solutions across critical sectors and contributing to India’s vision of a Viksit Bharat. The remarkable progress demonstrated by this cohort reinforces the power of innovation-led social impact, and we are proud to support these enterprises as they scale their solutions to create meaningful and lasting change in communities across the country.”