Generative AIs (Gen AIs) have undeniably contributed to the disruption of industries around the globe, including Indian unicorn businesses. These start-ups strive to achieve net carbon emissions while using Gen AIs to improve innovation, effectiveness, and sustainability. With this step furthering these companies’ goals, they are redefining business norms as middle road corporate social responsibility is no longer enough. This article examines the best practices and resources that Indian unicorn companies are using with the help of Gen AIs for their journey towards net-zero and other real-life cases.
Insights based AI to optimise energy consumption
Some indicative key promises that Gen AIs hold are, implementing Gen AI to analyse usage habits, identifying patterns of use that can be altered to cut down energy use, establishing AI driven management systems of energy use that can measure energy use in real time, using AI’s predictive power to shape energy demand and usage, and even automating AI suggestions to put in place energy-saving strategies. A pertinent example is Zomato, which has started to employ AI delivery route algorithms to enable more than just fuel savings. Zomato also stated that it has started to put into consideration AI energy management solutions for its cloud kitchens to cut energy consumption.
Leveraging Supply Chain Sustainability through Gen AI
The use of Gen AI to create sustainable supply chains that are more effective and transparent has become the focal norm. Process-oriented approaches are playing pivotal roles, where AI algorithms not only assess suppliers’ and contractors’ environmental effects but also manage stock levels to reduce wastage and excess production. AI-enabled production planning to match operational output with real demand is fast catching up. Meesho, a social commerce unicorn, uses artificial intelligence to improve supply chain processes to reduce packing waste and increase delivery efficiency. The platform itself works with its suppliers to promote sustainability.
Increasing AI-Preferred Renewable Energy Adoption
Leading automobile manufacturers are using Gen AI as a lever to aid in moving to renewable energy models. AI-powered techniques are supporting renewable energy generation data models to improve patterns during consumption and storage. AI is helping in developing algorithms that are efficient in predicting energy from renewables based on expected weather. Further data models to gauge renewable energy project viability are also catching up fast. A prominent example is Ola Electric, which uses artificial intelligence to enhance the charging ecosystem of its electric vehicles for the most effective energy consumption, while supporting the use of renewable energy—thereby fostering the march towards sustainability and net-zero.
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Managing Smart Waste Efficiently Using Gen AI
Implementing Generative AI to improve methods of garbage collection, disposal, sorting, and recycling has become the trend among current Clean-Tech start-ups and aggregators. Swiggy is piloting AI-based waste management systems in its cloud kitchens to reduce food wastage and increase recycling rates. The company is also trying to partner with waste management start-ups that utilise AI technologies. Approaches involve implementing AI-based image recognition to optimise recycling processes and using AI routing design algorithms to improve waste collection routes for reduced fuel expenditure, besides projecting waste generation behaviours to enhance recycling efforts.
Gen AI-Driven Sustainable Product Designing
An emerging trend in the product designing realm has been that of implementing Gen AI to devise products that are easier on the environment, with minimised carbon footprints, and that are end-of-life recyclable. An ideal example is ‘boAt’, an audio electronics company which is designing AI-based, sustainably powered audio products from recycled materials. The company uses Generative AI to identify problems in the designs for strength and enhance the devices for better recyclability. A key approach involves simulating product designs and testing them to assess their environmental impact using AI. During the design stage, AI algorithms maximise material usage and minimise waste, besides using AI to substitute unsustainable raw materials.
Gen AI-Enabled Carbon Footprint Measurement and Reduction
Tech farms are largely using Gen AI to measure, monitor, and lower carbon emissions in operations by employing AI-enabled automated carbon accounting systems to track emissions in real time. AI algorithms foster the recommendation of mitigation techniques for high-emission processes, and the use of AI recommendations automates carbon offset initiatives as well. Freshworks, a SaaS unicorn, utilises AI to efficiently monitor its carbon footprint while conserving energy in its data centres. The company is also developing AI-powered carbon offset technologies.
Revolutionising Agriculture with AI-Driven Precision Farming
Agritech farms are slowly inclining towards using Gen AI tools to facilitate sustainable farming practices and lower agricultural emissions. AI-enabled platforms provide actionable soil and weather data to optimise irrigation and fertiliser applications. They are also using AI techniques targeted at reducing food waste by estimating crop yields. AI tools give farmers recommendations on practices that make them climate-compatible, fostering sustainable farming. Ninjacart, the agritech unicorn, employs AI to enhance the food supply chain and reduce food waste. The company is also developing AI-based tools for farmers to foster sustainable practices and reduce their carbon footprint.
Gen AI Automating Green Building Operations
Cleantech start-ups are rapidly using Gen AI to better maintain offices and warehouses, aiming to consume less energy and produce lower emissions—thereby fostering and accelerating progress towards net-zero and business sustainability. Technology start-ups use Gen AIs non-prohibitively for controlling lighting, heating, and air conditioning through AI, depending on the weather and how many people are in the building. Using Gen AI diagnostics in non-invasive techniques, businesses track when and how equipment needs maintenance to keep it at peak efficiency. AI techniques help capture and report energy usage on a minute-by-minute basis. A bright example of a tech farm using Gen AI to optimise green building energy norms is Razorpay, which employs AI-driven smart building systems in its offices to slash energy expenditure and moderate the cost of building a sustainable workplace.
Enhancing Circular Economy Models through Gen AI
Sustainability-focused start-ups have been early proponents of using Gen AI for production and material recycling in circular economy design and management. AI algorithms help in planning and implementing product take-back campaigns. Farms have employed AI to track, find, and exploit material reuse and recycling possibilities—thereby boosting reverse-logistics targets for returned products and recycling needs. An example is Lenskart, which has developed an AI-driven system to manage its eyewear recycling scheme, facilitating the collection of old glasses and frames and enabling their reuse.
Empower Employees to Engage with Sustainability through AI
Building AI-powered training modules on sustainability methods, employing chatbots that cater to employee questions related to net-zero goals, and gamifying AI-incorporated sustainability challenges are some of the many ways this can be accomplished for tech farms and enterprises. The highly successful start-up Unacademy uses AI to hone environmental engagement training programmes for its employees.
Enabling Data-Driven Decision-Making
Across domains, farms are enabling AI to detail informative decision-making for streamlining their goals and objectives. Integrating AI into the reporting and analytics of sustainability modules, emerging trends, and tactics for emission cutbacks—as well as auto-generating reports for investors—are all ways to transform CRED’s methodologies. Successful start-up CRED relies on AI to dissect operational information and strategise towards minimising carbon emissions by devising energy-efficiency plans for its offices.
Innovating with AI-Powered Carbon Capture Technologies
Innovative clean-tech start-ups are developing and scaling technologies using Gen AI. By employing AI, the farms streamline the design and operation of carbon capture systems, anticipate project effectiveness with AI simulations, and finally streamline the processes of monitoring and reporting on carbon capture projects. Indian unicorns such as Ola Electric and ReNew Power, although still in nascent stages, are developing AI-powered carbon capture technologies to integrate with their renewable energy projects.
AI-Enabled Transformation Is Not a Destination. It’s a Journey That Has Just Begun.
‘Ola founder and CEO Bhavish Aggarwal announced plans regarding the manufacturing of AI chips in India. He said that these chips will power Ola Electric scooters, which will also have the company’s AI virtual assistant “Krutrim” and run the MoveOS5 operating system,’ reports the Times of India (TOI).
Key Takeaways
Generative AI is being explored by Indian unicorn start-ups to hasten their path towards achieving net-zero emissions. From AI-infused energy management and supply chain management to waste management and product development, these companies are innovatively managing environmental challenges. As Gen AI matures, so will its potential for transforming the net-zero journey, enabling start-ups to scale and reach their goals much faster. These efforts by Indian unicorns set a strong precedent for businesses globally, proving that technology and sustainability can walk hand in hand towards a better future.
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