A Pune-based startup is breaking new ground by delivering sustainable solutions that bridge climate concern with actionable urban change. ExploreiT, founded by Shivam Singh, a management graduate-turned-environmental entrepreneur, is redefining how cities like Pune and regions like Ladakh can transition toward a net-zero future.
What began as a college project on climate change has now evolved into a full-fledged sustainability venture. Singh, who holds an MBA from XLRI Jamshedpur, pivoted from awareness campaigns in schools and colleges to a solution-driven enterprise aimed at addressing India’s most pressing ecological issues. “Everyone accepts climate change is real,” says Singh, “but the action was missing. That’s where ExploreiT steps in.”
ExploreiT operates as a sustainability aggregator, offering a spectrum of eco-friendly services under one roof. From environmental audits and energy efficiency assessments to green infrastructure and resource recovery, the startup crafts tailored interventions that deliver measurable environmental benefits. The mission: to make sustainable transformation affordable and scalable.One of its flagship efforts is in Ladakh, where altered snowfall patterns and a tourism surge have intensified water scarcity. With traditional dry toilets being replaced by water-intensive systems, Singh’s team introduced waterless toilet technologies that conserve scarce groundwater. The company also designed waste management frameworks suited to Ladakh’s harsh, low-composting climate.
Back in Pune, ExploreiT’s impact can be seen in projects like vertical forests, butterfly gardens, solar panel installations, and EV infrastructure across schools, parks, and colleges. Its data-led approach ensures optimal resource allocation, with Singh noting, “We achieve triple the impact at one-third the cost.”The startup works closely with CSR partners, enabling companies to direct social funds toward projects such as converting school campuses into climate-resilient zones using reflective paints and native tree cover. Notably, a plantation project in Pune’s Camp area has shown a sapling survival rate of over 90% across nine months—an outlier compared to typical urban planting drives.
ExploreiT also invests in knowledge partnerships. Mentored by noted ecologists Dr Erach Bharucha and Dr Gurudas Nulkar, the team prioritises local biodiversity restoration over ornamental greening. In Yerwada Open Prison, the group has initiated a native tree plantation programme, part of a broader effort to bring the Western Ghats’ ecological heritage back into urban spaces.Singh believes the startup sector has a vital role to play in India’s net-zero journey, especially as AI, data and digital platforms integrate more deeply into sustainability practices. ExploreiT’s expansion plans include scaling operations across South Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
However, Singh also points to cultural barriers. “The green sector isn’t yet seen as a viable career by many Indian families. I’m fortunate mine supported the risk,” he reflects. With growing youth interest in climate jobs, he argues the onus is now on society to support those venturing into sustainable enterprise.
ExploreiT’s work signals a shift from protest to progress, from environmental rhetoric to results. In a landscape too often overwhelmed by policy delays and performative gestures, this Pune startup exemplifies what climate action can look like when powered by data, collaboration, and the will to solve.
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