MoHUA Launches 2nd Swachhata Startup Cohort to Power India’s Waste-Tech Future

The launch, led by Shri Tokhan Sahu, Minister of State (MoS), MoHUA, marks a significant leap toward strengthening India’s innovation-driven sanitation and waste-management ecosystem.

Ranked third globally for the number of unicorns, India’s startup ecosystem has rapidly transformed into a vibrant powerhouse of innovation. With over 100 unicorns and thousands of emerging enterprises across fintech, mobility, health-tech, e-commerce, and sustainability, innovation is spreading fast—from metros to tier-2 and tier-3 cities.

Building on this momentum, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), in collaboration with the Startup Incubation & Innovation Centre (SIIC), IIT Kanpur, launched the second cohort of startups under the Swachhata Startup initiative at the Swachhata Startup Conclave held on 24 November 2025 in New Delhi.

The launch, led by Shri Tokhan Sahu, Minister of State (MoS), MoHUA, marks a significant leap toward strengthening India’s innovation-driven sanitation and waste-management ecosystem.

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“Startups Are Driving a Cleaner, Greener and Aatma Nirbhar Bharat”: MoS Tokhan Sahu

Addressing the Conclave, Shri Tokhan Sahu said that the Swachh Bharat Mission–Urban (SBM-U) has, over the past decade, transformed waste management from conventional systems into cutting-edge, tech-powered solutions.

He highlighted the government’s efforts to empower young innovators through supportive policies, market access, and an enabling environment.

Vision for the Future

The Minister outlined MoHUA’s goal of establishing a National Exchange Platform, connecting:

• Startups

• Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)

• Investors

• Financial institutions

• Technology providers

This platform will allow cities to signal challenges and enable startups to deploy homegrown, scalable solutions, accelerating India’s journey toward an Aatma Nirbhar Bharat in waste management.

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India’s Rising Startup Power in Urban Sustainability

With rapid urbanisation placing unprecedented pressure on service delivery systems, startups are redefining the way Indian cities manage sanitation, mobility, governance, and public services.

Over 5,000 waste-management startups are now registered with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), signalling a major shift from job-seeking to job-creating enterprises in the sanitation and solid waste management domain.

Cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi-NCR remain dominant innovation hubs, while smaller cities such as Indore, Surat, Nagpur, Jaipur, Coimbatore, and Guwahati are rapidly emerging as powerful centres of sustainable innovation.

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A Decade of SBM-U: From Cleanliness Movement to Tech-Led Transformation

Launched in 2014 by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Swachh Bharat Mission–Urban has empowered cities to eliminate open defecation, improve waste collection, enhance public sanitation, and adopt scientific waste management.

SBM-U 2.0 has accelerated progress in:

• 100% waste segregation

• Material recovery and recycling

• Waste-to-energy projects

• Circular economy linkages

• Mechanisation of sanitation systems

• Safety and dignity of sanitation workers

• Public awareness and behaviour change

• Encouraging local innovations and startups

This shift represents one of the world’s largest urban transformation missions, placing India at the forefront of technology-enabled urban cleanliness.

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How Startups Are Transforming India’s Waste Ecosystem

Startups supported under Cohort 1 and broader SBM-U initiatives are driving tangible improvements on the ground. Examples include:

• Arc Robotics – mechanised manhole cleaning

• ReCircle – smart waste tracking and reverse logistics

• EcoKaari, Padcare, Uneako, Muddle Art – circular-economy enterprises

• Kabbadiwala – innovative business models for waste collection and recycling

These solutions are reshaping India’s waste value chain, promoting sustainability, and creating livelihood opportunities.

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Swachhata Startup Challenge: A Powerful Catalyst for Growth

The Swachhata Startup Challenge 2022 emerged as a landmark platform connecting innovators with investors, ULBs, and policymakers.

Impact of Cohort 1

• 230+ applications received

• 30 startups selected

• Revenue increased 11-fold

• Funding support grew 6-fold

• 20% of selected startups were women-led

• Supported startups delivered measurable ground impact

Outcomes Achieved

Startups supported under SBM-U have:

• Treated 300+ lakh litres of wastewater

• Managed 63,000+ MT of waste

• Cleared 15,000 MT of street garbage

• Processed 200 MT of biodegradable waste

• Generated over ₹500 crore in valuation

• Created 2,000+ direct employment opportunities

These results reaffirm the value of sustained mentoring, financial support, and access to markets.

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Cohort 2: 32 New Startups Join the Mission for Clean Urban India

Following a rigorous selection process involving over 400 applications, 32 innovative startups have been onboarded for Cohort 2. These startups work across:

• Circular waste systems

• Waste segregation and recycling

• Decentralised waste processing

• Desludging and septage management

• Waste-to-energy and waste-to-value solutions

• AI-enabled monitoring and smart sanitation

• Low-cost, locally built innovations

Support Provided

Through SIIC, IIT Kanpur, Cohort 2 startups will receive:

• Incubation infrastructure

• Access to R&D labs

• Mentorship from experts

• Investor and market linkages

• Bootcamps, workshops, and exposure visits

• Deployment opportunities in partnership with ULBs

This collaboration is set to become one of India’s most impactful national platforms for deploying waste-tech innovations at scale.

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Building a Unified National Platform for Waste-Tech Solutions

MoHUA aims to consolidate India’s waste-management innovations through a unified solution exchange platform, enabling:

• Cities to post real-time challenges

• Startups to offer customised solutions

• Investors to identify scalable opportunities

• Policymakers to support rapid deployment of new technologies

Supported by enabling policies, this platform will catalyse faster adoption of clean technologies and strengthen the waste startup ecosystem nationwide.

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Towards a Cleaner, Greener, and Innovative Urban India

The launch of Cohort 2 marks a powerful step in India’s mission to build sanitation-smart, climate-resilient, and tech-driven urban centres. With strong partnerships across government, academia, and startups, the Swachhata Startup initiative is helping India transition from traditional waste management to a future-ready, sustainable, and innovation-first urban ecosystem.