10 startups receive government grants under Swachhata Startup Challenge

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 Genrobotics, recycling enabler The Kabadiwala, waste management tracking platform Bintix Waste Research, up cycled building material manufacturer Recycler India-Saltech Design Labs, wastewater recycler Jal Sevak, carbon-negative building materials producer GreenJams, chicken waste-recycled clothes seller Mudita and Radhesh, biodegradable sanitary pads innovator Green Delight Innovation, hotel cooking oil waste platform KNP Arises, and sanitation service equipment builder Cherries.