We Won the Bharat Startup Grand Challenge 2025 and Here’s What That Really Means to Us
(Source Credits: Plastics For Change)
We’re incredibly proud to share that Plastics For Change has been named the winner of the Bharat Startup Grand Challenge 2025.
This recognition comes with a ₹10 crore investment from Stride Ventures, in partnership with Startup India and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). But more than the funding, more than the spotlight, this moment means something far deeper to us. It’s a recognition of the kind of future we’ve always believed in: a future where circularity is ethical, inclusive, and human-first.
Why This Win Matters
(Source Credits: Plastics For Change)
We were built in the chaos of recycling yards, through conversations with waste collectors, and by trying to answer one question: What if the people cleaning up our planet were no longer invisible?
Over the last decade, we’ve worked to connect those waste collectors who are often unrecognized, underpaid, and excluded from the formal economy to some of the biggest brands in the world. We built this through a fully traceable, Fair Trade-verified supply chain that offers dignity, income stability, and transparency.
This award tells us that the world is listening. That supply chain traceability, ethical sourcing, and social impact are no longer fringe topics. They are the future.
The Business Side of Impact
Yes, we’re a social enterprise but our model is deeply rooted in operational excellence. Our platform gives brands what they increasingly need:
Recycled plastic that’s ethically sourced
End-to-end traceability for ESG reporting
Support to meet EPR compliance
Real data on real impact
And we’ve proven it works by working with partners like L’Oréal, The Body Shop, and several global brands to transition away from virgin plastic and toward responsible sourcing.
What this award does is give us the momentum to scale. To move faster. To reach more cities and even continents. To strengthen the infrastructure that connects informal workers to global value chains. To build even better tools for impact verification, data traceability, and brand compliance.
A Moment for the People Behind the Work
As exciting as this is for our team, it’s not just our win. It belongs to the waste collectors who show up every single day, often in difficult conditions, and make recycling in India possible.
It belongs to the women leading collection centers, the community partners who believed in us before there were case studies, and the brand teams who chose to ask harder questions about the materials they use.
What’s Next?
We're doubling down on our mission. With this support, we’ll expand our resources, upgrade our infrastructure, and continue building a future where every piece of recycled plastic creates not just environmental value, but human value too.
Thank you to every person who’s been part of this journey.