Reflecting on Climate Corps India’s five-year anniversary celebration

“Simply electric” is the phrase that comes to mind when I think back to my time at the Climate Workforce Summit in Mumbai just weeks ago. This was my first time in India, and the entire trip was unforgettable: from meeting with Climate Corps fellows and alumni to seeing and hearing from partners on the impacts of their work to celebrating the fifth anniversary of the Climate Corps Fellowship in India.  

India is at a critical period in the country’s green transition. That growing potential means there is an urgent need for a climate-ready workforce, ready to lead this transition. This summit confirmed for me that this challenge is being met head on. 

Themed “Enabling Climate Workforce Transition in India,” the Climate Workforce Summit brought together nearly 150 leaders from government, business, and think tanks—all committed to advancing India’s green economy. The summit felt different from a typical conference. The result was a day filled with authentic connection, collaboration, and optimism for India’s climate workforce future. 

Acting with intention and imagination 

The energy, optimism, and sense of shared purpose were palpable—especially in conversations with Climate Corps India alumni, who are already shaping the country’s climate leadership movement. Their vision, curiosity, and determination embody what this moment demands: People who are not just talking about the green transition but living it through their work and their choices. 

Here are a few moments that stood out: 

• #OpenDoorClimate LIVE brought mentoring to life, connecting students and early-career professionals to industry veterans in a curated networking experience. 
• The room was full at the Climate Corps Alumni Showcase. Alumni captivated attendees with their personal journeys, sharing milestones in their own lives and in India’s sustainability story. 
• Speakers from Mahindra Group, JSW Group, Godrej, ICICI, Aditya Birla Group, IndusInd Bank, Skill Council for Green Jobs shared actionable ideas. 
• The climate book exchange table became a spontaneous hub of generosity and conversation, replacing standard conference swag with meaningful connection. 
• The closing remarks urged participants to “act with intention and imagination.” These words resonated deeply with attendees. 

The summit’s success was not just in its agenda, but in its atmosphere of collaboration. Conversations were unhurried and substantive; people stayed long after formal sessions ended. The alumni community played a key role, helping host and guide the day—embodying the fellowship’s spirit of peer leadership and collective purpose. 

The event’s final roundtable, focused on embedding sustainability into workforce strategy, ended with a shared commitment to keep the conversation going. Participants called for a national agenda on green workforce development, with Climate Corps and its partners playing a convening and knowledge-sharing role. 

Cheers to five years, Climate Corps India! 

The summit also marked the 5-year anniversary of Climate Corps India. Since its launch in India in 2019, Climate Corps has placed over 100 fellows across 35+ organizations, including Amazon, Mahindra, ITC, the Assam and Tamil Nadu Governments, and others driving sustainability in sectors like agriculture, manufacturing, finance, and logistics. These fellows have helped advance projects that make organizations more climate-ready while shaping their own leadership journeys. 

In partnership with AshokaX, the online learning arm of Ashoka University, Climate Corps continues to strengthen India’s institutional capacity for climate action and nurture the next generation of sustainability leaders. 

The Climate Workforce Summit was not a culmination—it was a launchpad. Building on this momentum, EDF and Ashoka University see great potential in convening leaders and practitioners with the hopes of translating discussion into action, from new communities of practice to collaborative research and policy recommendations. 

Back home, as I reflect on this experience, I feel excited and hopeful. The scale of opportunity is tremendous. Engaging emerging professionals is an essential part of climate action in India. With them, we can be certain we will act with intention, thoughtfulness, and optimism for the future.