Ayekart RISE Foundation and cKinetics Partner to Strengthen Market Linkages for Green Micro Cold Storage Solutions in Maharashtra

February 19, 2026: Announced during the India State Climate Investment Forum (ISCIF) 2026, the partnership advances market-anchored DRE-powered micro cold storage solutions aligned with Maharashtra’s climate and livelihoods priorities.

Ayekart RISE Foundation (ARISE) and cKinetics have entered into a strategic partnership under the Scaling Up of Green Agri-focused Micro Cold Storage Solutions (SUGAM-CSS) programme to strengthen the scalability and long-term viability of green micro cold storage solutions in Maharashtra.

The partnership was announced yesterday at the India State Climate Investment Forum (ISCIF) 2026 by Debarshi Dutta, Director, Ayekart RISE Foundation and Chief Executive Officer, Ayekart, during a roundtable discussion on Blended Finance Structures to Strengthen Community Livelihood and Health Outcomes through Distributed Renewable Energy.

Implemented by cKinetics since 2024, SUGAM-CSS focuses on strengthening clean, distributed cooling infrastructure at the first mile of the fruits and vegetables value chain. The programme aims to reduce post-harvest losses, enhance farmer incomes, and enable sustainable and scalable business models for renewable-powered micro cold storage through integrated approaches covering infrastructure deployment, financing innovation, and market access.

Under the partnership, Ayekart RISE Foundation will serve as the market-linkage partner for SUGAM-CSS-enabled micro cold storage installations in Maharashtra. Leveraging Ayekart’s buyer network, ARISE will connect farmers, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), and rural entrepreneurs operating micro cold storage units to organised buyers, including aggregators, processors, organised retail, quick commerce platforms, and exporters, with the objective of improving asset utilisation, strengthening price realisation, and enabling predictable demand.

In addition to its role in Maharashtra, Ayekart RISE Foundation will also support the implementation of green micro cold storage solutions under SUGAM-CSS in Uttar Pradesh, extending the partnership’s impact across multiple horticulture regions.

Commenting on the partnership, Debarshi Dutta, said - “As discussions highlighted, moving from pilots to scale requires integrating infrastructure with markets. Through this partnership with cKinetics, we aim to strengthen utilisation and revenue certainty for green micro cold storage solutions, making them more sustainable while delivering tangible livelihood outcomes for farmers in Maharashtra.”

Upendra Bhatt, Managing Director, cKinetics, said - “SUGAM-CSS is designed to move from pilots to portfolios. Reliable market access is central to ensuring that renewable-powered micro cold storage solutions remain viable over the long term. This partnership strengthens utilisation and revenue potential, supporting scalable deployment across horticulture clusters.”

The collaboration underscores the need to combine distributed renewable energy interventions with reliable market access to enable scalable and sustainable solutions. By improving utilisation and revenue stability, the partnership supports long-term climate and livelihood outcomes at scale.