Simmi Sareen - State of Indian Climate Finance - Co-Founder of Climake and Director at Unitus Investment Bank

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Simmi Sareen is the Director of Unitus Capital, an Indian Impact-focused Investment Bank. She is the Co-Founder of Climake, along with Shravan Shankar, a Climate Venture Studio supporting the growth of Early-Stage Indian startups. Climake publishes an annual report on the “State of Climate Finance in India.”

Simmi Sareen previously founded fintech platforms, Loans4SME and GreenFunder, focusing on venture debt, asset finance, and working capital loans to social enterprises, MSMEs, and startups in India.

Prior to her Climate and Impact Career transition, Simmi was a Vice-President and Head of Research at Morgan Stanley, focused on Structured Finance and Credit Derivatives, and was the Head of Risk of Grameen Impact India. She is a Chartered Accountant and was a Sloan Fellow at London Business School.

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Topics discussed:

• Simmi’s career evolution from working at a Bulge-Bracket Investment Bank to focusing on Climate Finance and Social Impact in India.

• Process and reasoning behind launching Climake and emphasizing on data-driven research and pilot programs.

• Climake’s 2023 Edition of “State of Climate Finance in India” report.

• India’s Short-Term (Peak Emissions in 2030) and Long-Term (2070) Decarbonization Targets.

• India requires USD $1 Trillion by 2030 - $120 Billion of Annual Investments - to reach its 2030 target.

• Breakdown of USD $22.5 Billion in Indian Climate Tech Investments in 2022.

• Investment Opportunities in Indian Climate Tech:

  • Renewable Energy.

  • Electric Mobility.

  • Lithium-Ion Battery Cell Manufacturing.

  • Agriculture Technology.

  • Waste Management and Circularity.

  • Climate Adaptation Solutions (Water, Heating, and Cooling).

  • Industrial Decarbonization Solutions.

• India’s Climate Finance Landscape:

  • Publicly-Listed Climate Tech Companies.

  • Universe and Segmentation of Climate Equity Investors.

  • Local Debt and Non-Dilutive Financing Ecosystem.

• Pilot Program currently in progress at Climake:

  • Climate Asset Financing Facility.

  • Climate Venture Studio.

• Simmi’s advice to Investors (Survey) and Young Entrepreneurs interested in the Indian Climate Tech and Finance Sector.

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Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as investment advice. The interview took place on 3rd May 2023.