New Delhi, Nov 27 The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), in partnership with the Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC) at IIT Kanpur, on Thursday launched the second cohort of startups focused on sanitation and waste management.
The announcement was made at the Swachhata Startup Conclave held in the national capital, where Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs, Tokhan Sahu, formally introduced the new group of 32 startups.
Speaking at the event, Tokhan Sahu said that the Swachh Bharat Mission–Urban (SBM-U) has transformed India’s waste management landscape over the past decade, shifting from outdated methods to modern, technology-driven systems.
He noted that startups are playing a key role in this transformation by developing new ideas that help cities stay cleaner and operate more efficiently.
The Minister also said the Ministry is building a national platform to connect startups with urban local bodies, investors, and other stakeholders, making it easier to identify problems and implement homegrown solutions at scale.
India is home to more than 100 unicorns and has a strong culture of innovation spreading beyond major metros into smaller cities.
This momentum is also visible in the waste-management sector, where over 5,000 startups have been registered with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
These startups are helping cities improve sustainability and service delivery through new tools and technologies.
Since its launch in 2014, the Swachh Bharat Mission–Urban has reshaped India’s sanitation ecosystem.
In its second phase, the Mission is working to build garbage-free cities by promoting waste segregation, recycling, circular economy models, and better safety standards for sanitation workers.
Startups have become an important part of this effort by developing solutions ranging from mechanised manhole cleaning and waste tracking to recycling-based businesses and innovative collection models.
To support these innovations, MoHUA introduced the Swachhata Startup Challenge in 2022.
In the first cohort, more than 230 applications were received and 30 startups were selected for funding and mentorship.
These startups have since delivered strong results -- treating over 300 lakh litres of wastewater, managing more than 63,000 metric tonnes of waste, clearing 15,000 metric tonnes of street garbage, and processing 200 metric tonnes of biodegradable waste.
Together, they have achieved a valuation of over Rs 500 crore and created more than 2,000 jobs.
The second cohort attracted over 400 applications, from which 32 startups have now been selected.
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