Karnataka - District Entrepreneurship Mission

Catalyzing Growth

Building Climate-Smart, Entrepreneur-Led Ecosystems in Urban Karnataka

The District Entrepreneurship Mission (DEM) in Karnataka brings together innovation, sustainability, and entrepreneurship to tackle climate vulnerabilities while expanding livelihood opportunities in urban districts.

In partnership with SELCO Foundation, GAME is anchoring a climate-smart mass entrepreneurship model across two key urban regions: Bengaluru and Hubballi-Dharwad. This model integrates energy access, climate adaptation, and productive livelihoods into one cohesive approach—empowering thousands of entrepreneurs to thrive sustainably.

Focus Regions

Bangalore

India’s 4th-largest city and a major migration hub, Bangalore is rapidly urbanizing. The city now faces:

  • Urban heat island effects & climate stress
  • Erratic rainfall and increased GHG emissions
  • High density of home-based and informal livelihoods
  • The DEM model here is designed to democratize access to decentralized renewable energy (DRE) and integrate it into micro and small enterprises.

Hubballi-Dharwad

A Smart City and Karnataka’s second-largest municipal zone, Hubballi-Dharwad is:

  • Seeing rising temperatures (up to 40–50°C in micro-industries)
  • Undergoing urban infrastructure transformation
  • Attracting population influx & increasing demand for energy-secure livelihoods
  • DEM is actively developing localized solutions for home-based livelihoods, micro-industries, and urban women entrepreneurs.
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