Exclusive Interview: RenewCred Founder Abhimanyu Rathi on Climate Startups, ESG Culture, and the Next Big Opportunity in Carbon Markets

Climate change, sustainable innovation, and carbon markets are rapidly becoming central to global business conversations. Yet very few entrepreneurs are building companies at the intersection of climate technology, social impact, and finance.

In an exclusive interaction with Ankitt Y, Editor, Entrepreneur News Network, Abhimanyu Rathi, founder of RenewCred, shares insights from his journey—from traveling across villages in Gujarat and Rajasthan witnessing the real impact of climate change to building solutions in renewable energy and carbon markets.

In this conversation, he discusses sustainable business culture, AI-driven decision making, building remote teams, climate innovation, and the future of carbon credits.

Below are edited excerpts from the conversation.

Q&A: Abhimanyu on Climate Innovation, AI, and Building RenewCred

Q1. What experiences shaped your journey toward climate innovation and building RenewCred?

Abhimanyu:
My travel across villages in India—especially in West India, Gujarat and Rajasthan—had a big influence on me. I met people who were at the forefront of the climate crisis, people who didn’t have access to energy or water. Talking to them helped me understand how climate change will impact communities on the ground.

The second experience comes from social impact work. I’ve always been driven by social causes. I was involved in philanthropy and supported initiatives related to HIV/AIDS and women empowerment. Through this work, I spoke with many people and saw firsthand the real challenges communities face.

The third factor was innovation. I truly believe innovation can solve many problems. I always had what we call in Hindi a “research keeda”—a curiosity to open things up and understand how they work. I used to carry a screwdriver and open devices just to see what was inside.

That curiosity pushed me toward renewable energy innovation. I built things like a solar tractor and a water purification system.

So if I summarize it, three things shaped where I am today:

• Social impact

• Innovation

• Understanding businesses

These three elements shaped my journey.

Q2. Many founders talk about sustainability today. What separates companies that scale sustainably from those that grow fast but fade away?

Abhimanyu:
I don’t think scale is the issue. Sustainability is more about culture rather than just operations.

If a company is culturally aligned toward sustainability, nothing can stop it from becoming a sustainable organization.

Take companies like Mahindra, for example. They are making changes at every level—from simple initiatives like replacing plastic bottles with glass bottles to larger transitions like moving toward EV fleets.

Another example is Tata, which is focusing strongly on ESG and diversity.

So sustainability is not about scale. Intent is what matters.

Q3. Startups often operate under intense performance pressure. How do you balance long-term climate goals with short-term performance expectations?

Abhimanyu:
At RenewCred we are driven by what we call a Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG)—a concept described by Jim Collins.

Our goal is very clear: to reduce two gigatons of CO₂ in the next 14 years.

Everything we do is aligned with that mission.

At the same time, our company culture avoids unnecessary stress. We believe in a flat structure with no strict hierarchies. Employees can give feedback freely.

For example, if someone wants to experiment or explore a different role, we support that. We focus strongly on employee wellbeing and avoid micromanagement.

Everyone in the company is passionate about the larger mission.

In fact, we have had zero attrition in the last two years. Not a single person has left the company voluntarily.

Q4. How large is your team today?

Abhimanyu:
We operate as a fully remote company.

Our core team currently consists of 16 people spread across seven cities.

In addition, we collaborate with a network of 93 scientists who contribute to research and innovation.

Q5. Which industry shifts do you believe will shape the future of sustainability in the next decade?

Abhimanyu:
One important initiative was the Green Credit Programme introduced by the Government of India, but it did not scale because there was no monetization model.

So commodification of green credits is very important.

The second big shift is ESG. Originally ESG started as more of a financial parameter because funds wanted to invest in ESG-friendly companies.

However, people often focus only on the environmental aspect. The social and governance components are equally important.

Another positive change is the shift from BRSR to BRSR Core reporting, which SEBI is implementing.

At the macro level, we will see more diversity of ideas and technological shifts.

AI will restructure markets. Humans will focus more on creativity and strategic thinking rather than repetitive work.

The question then becomes:
Can we make all of this happen sustainably?

Can data centers run sustainably?
Can technological growth happen sustainably?

These are important questions for the future.

Q6. What decision-making frameworks do you rely on when making high-stakes business decisions?

Abhimanyu:
I follow a few mental models.

First, trust your gut feeling. If your instinct says no, the answer is usually no.

Second, you don’t always need 100% of data to make a decision.
If you have around 80% of the information, that’s usually enough to move forward.

Anything below 40% data is risky.

Third, I categorize decisions into two types:

Irreversible decisions:
These require deep thinking—things like choosing partners or where to build your company.

Reversible decisions:
Things like daily operational choices. These shouldn’t consume too much time.

These mental models come from my work experiences over the years.

Q7. How do you build a team that can adapt to change while working remotely?

Abhimanyu:
We evaluate people based on three criteria:

1. Fit for Purpose

Are they mission aligned? Do they genuinely believe climate change is a problem worth solving?

2. Fit for Organisation

Our team is creative and collaborative. Someone coming from a rigid corporate structure may struggle to adapt.

3. Fit for Role

Passion alone isn’t enough. People must also have the skills and expertise required for the role.

So our hiring philosophy is:

Fit for purpose, fit for organisation, and fit for role.

Q8. AI is transforming industries. How should leaders rethink their operating models with AI?

Abhimanyu:
Leaders first need to embrace AI rather than resist it.

AI can improve four key areas:

1. Decision-making speed

2. Research and deep analysis

3. Operational efficiency

4. Resource optimization

Great CEOs are often distinguished by how quickly and effectively they make decisions.

AI can significantly enhance that capability.

Q9. If you had to start again from scratch today, which opportunity would excite you the most?

Abhimanyu:
I would still stay in carbon markets and climate innovation.

I enjoy working at the intersection of multiple disciplines—science, finance, and technology.

I also get to interact with brilliant scientists, and I love science.

At the same time, I enjoy the business side of things. I am Gujarati and I know Marwari, so naturally I enjoy conversations about money and markets.

So this space excites me the most.