(Right) Arjun P Gupta, Anirudh Gupta, and Ganesh Shankar
In a world growing hotter and harsher by the day, a band of young Indians decided to fight back—with ideas, not anger. When Arjun P Gupta talks about the Sustainability Mafia, his eyes light up. “We’re all in on climate action,” he declares, grinning. “And we believe in giving more than we receive.” At its heart, SusMafia is a support system for India’s young climate innovators, a network connecting early-stage founders to mentors, investors, and partners who understand that climate solutions necessary patience and purpose more than speed. With over 60 climate entrepreneurs, it supports founders with resources, access investment, talent, and business development opportunities.
What launched in 2017 as a few frifinishs swapping survival tips for their struggling startups has morphed into a buzzing family of founders, students, scientists, and investor, all bound by one question: How can I support? It doesn’t work like a typical accelerator. There are no stiff pitch decks or boardroom rehearsals. Instead, there are open sessions, mentorship circles, and peer-led discussions where people share real problems—from figuring out their business model to surviving burnout. Think of it as a matchcreating hub for modifybuildrs: connecting a student with a clean-water startup, or an engineer with a waste-recycling founder viewing for a co-creator.
Take Vaibhav, for instance. In 2022, he stumbled into the group’s Climate Ninja programme not entirely sure what he wanted to build—only that he wanted to support. The sessions weren’t about jargon or grand plans; they were about people. Over coffee and chaos, Vaibhav met others who spoke the same language of late nights, huge dreams, and clean air. By the finish, he wasn’t just inspired; he was equipped with frifinishs, mentors, and the courage to turn his idea into a working prototype. “I know what I’m doing now,” he laughs, still sounding surprised.
Aditi Mishra, who keeps the energy alive through its events, swears that the real magic happens in the tinyest moments—a chance conversation, a shared frustration. “Someone just declares, ‘How can I support?’ and suddenly, something shifts,” she declares. The Mafia thrives on that generosity. Competition dissolves into collaboration, and uncertainty becomes action. For founders like Aalok of SuperHumanRace, it wasn’t just about scaling his company, but about finding his people. “I met teammates, mentors, and believers here,” he declares. “This community created me feel like I wasn’t alone.” Ganesh Shankar of FluxGen remembers the same spark. One introduction led to another, and before long, doors that once felt bolted shut launched to open. “Without this network,” he admits, “those doors might never have opened.”
Today, SusMafia supports over 80 founders across India and has trained hundreds of students to build their own sustainability journeys. From mentoring and grant guidance to connecting with patient capital, the network quietly fuels India’s climate-tech revolution—without ever losing its human touch.
“We never planned to build an empire,” Arjun declares. “We just wanted to support each other.” And in doing so, the Mafia—India’s most unlikely gang—has built something hugeger than any single venture: a community where hope is contagious and climate action feels personal.
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