10 startups receive government grants under Swachhata Startup Challenge
The startups are all working on solutions at the nexus of social innovation and technology, with winners working automated waste management, recyclable materials, and more.
The 10 winners of the Swachhata Startup Challenge, launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD), will receive Rs 10 lakh and bespoke professional and capacity-building support for a year.
The 10 startups chosen for the grants were announced at the Swachhata Startup Conclave from the 30 finalists who had a chance to present their companies to the present audience, including Kaushal Kishore, Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Emmanuel Lenain, Ambassador of France to India, Roopa Mishra, Joint Secretary and National Mission Director, Swachh Bharat Mission, and Manoj Joshi, Secretary of the MoHUA.
Lenain said, "France and India are committed to working together on tackling plastic pollution and waste management. The AFD-MoHUA Swachhata Startup Challenge is a concrete step in this direction, and we are proud of the overwhelming response it has received."
The Swachata Startup Challenge received 244 applications from 23 States and Union Territories, including from 100 women-led startups.
The winners included robotics scavenger builder , recycling enabler , waste management tracking platform Waste Research, up cycled building material manufacturer Recycler India-, wastewater recycler , carbon-negative building materials producer , chicken waste-recycled clothes seller , biodegradable sanitary pads innovator , hotel cooking oil waste platform , and sanitation service equipment builder .
Edited by Megha Reddy