Two climate warriors from India selected for prestigious Prince William and Earthshot Prize

Acknowledging the works of many climate warriors and visionaries, International Prince William and The Earthshot Prize is back with this year’s list of 15 finalists. An accomplished group of entrepreneurs and innovators, spearheading 15 groundbreaking solutions to the biggest environmental challenges the planet faces and you’ll be happy to know that two from this list of achievers are Indians.

Of these 15 finalists, five winners will receive a 1 million Pound award at the Earthshot Prize awards ceremony, scheduled at Boston on December 2. One of the jury member of the prestigious ceremony is Prince William himself.

Apart from the prize money, all finalists will receive tailored support and resources from The Earthshot Prize Global Alliance Members, an unprecedented network of private sector businesses around the world committed to helping scale innovative climate and environmental solutions and multiplying their impact.

Amongst the fifteen enormously talented finalist are two born and inspired in India and here’s their story!

The Ganges is a lifeline to 420 million people but is the second most polluted river in the world. That is not too surprising, considering that 96% of the flowers cast into the river contain highly toxic pesticides. In that moment, Ankit Agarwal had the vision of Phool, the company that created Fleather. A Kanpur-backed biomaterial startup, with an innovative and regenerative approach to creating leather out of floral waste and successfully entered the Earthshot Prize to Build A Waste-Free World category.

Under the Earthshot Prize to Protect and Restore Nature category, Kaushik Kappagantulu's vision Kheyti, a pioneering solution from India is making heads turn. The Indian startup has developed a simple solution that is already having a considerable impact. Its Greenhouse-in-a-Box, designed for small farmers and the crops they grow, offers shelter from unpredictable elements and destructive pests. Plants in the greenhouse require 98% less water than those outdoors and yields are seven-times higher. Today, nearly 1,000 farms are making use of Kheyti greenhouses.