Republic Day 2024: Industry Leaders Empowering Bharat Through Sustainable Innovation

🔍Insights

Muskaan Kapoor

Jan 26, 2024 — 8 min read

Industry Leaders Empowering Bharat Through Sustainable Innovation on Republic Day

During the celebration of India's Republic Day, we feel a strong sense of unity and democracy. While the parade theme may change every year, the essence of honoring India as a democratic motherland remains the same.

As we prepare to celebrate this special 75th Republic Day 2024, StartupTalky spotlights the efforts of industry leaders who are driving sustainable development in India through inclusive innovation. We've asked these entrepreneurs how their companies contribute to sustainable development, illuminating a path for positive change. They share insights into their innovative approaches, reflecting the principles of both sustainability and democratic values.

Sustainable Development Through Inclusive Projects

“At Nahar Group, we weave sustainability and inclusivity into the very fabric of our development projects. We believe innovation isn't just about technology, but about empowering diverse communities,” remarked Ms. Manju Yagnik, Vice Chairperson of Nahar Group and Senior Vice President of NAREDCO- Maharashtra.

Ms. Yagnik further added, “One such example is our Nahar Amrit Shakti project. We transformed a barren plot into a thriving urban forest, creating over 10,000 trees and a 25-acre biodiversity park. This wasn't just environmental regeneration; it became a haven for local communities, providing recreational spaces, promoting fitness, and fostering social connections.

Through rainwater harvesting and water-efficient landscaping, we reduced water consumption by 50%, a boon for the water-stressed city. The project also created local jobs, empowered women through self-help groups managing the park, and instilled environmental awareness in school children through educational programs.

Nahar Amrit Shakti is a testament to how inclusive innovation can illuminate a path of positive change, addressing environmental concerns, empowering communities, and upholding democratic values. It's a model we're replicating across our projects, building a more sustainable and equitable India, brick by green brick.”

Pioneering Solutions for Air Pollution

Nirvana Being pioneers solution for air pollution and ecosystem restoration, prioritizing the environment. Elaborating this, Mr. Jai Dhar Gupta, Founder of Nirvana Being said, “We leverage science and sustainability to develop innovative Clean Air technology, ensuring health and safety in our air-challenged environment. Everyone, after all, breathes, making this a shared responsibility.

Beyond clean air, we're actively restoring ecosystems. Our Rajaji Raghati Biosphere initiative purchases land near national parks and forests, rewilding them to expand our green cover and create vital carbon sinks. This initiative, a model for private-sector ecological restoration, directly impacts the Van Gujjars and countless others as we strive to plant and grow new forests year after year.

At Nirvana Being, we're not just counter-cyclical in our approach; we view human progress through a different lens, one that prioritizes environmental stewardship and the well-being of all.”

Revolutionizing Corporate Sustainability

Chetan Kasim, Co-Founder and CEO at Sustainext, emphasized, “Sustainext is revolutionizing corporate sustainability in India. Our innovative platform simplifies ESG data management, fostering efficient and intelligent decision-making. We're helping companies understand how to shift ESG from compliance to a core business imperative. We're charting the path to decarbonization and helping companies achieve their net-zero goals. Our combination of automated data collection, expert consulting, and specialized modules elevates ESG performance. Plus, our intuitive and clean interface is a game-changer in the sustainability arena.”

Dedication to Sustainable Solutions

TreadBinary is dedicated to fostering sustainable development in India, reducing metal wastage, digitizing operations, and optimizing supply chains.

Darshil Shah, Founder and Director of TreadBinary, stated, “TreadBinary is dedicated to fostering sustainable development in India and has a profound commitment towards it, which goes beyond a mere corporate responsibility. We have developed an in-house patent application “hac”, which reduces the metal scrap by 80%, curbing metal wastage through unnecessary scrap production. Lower scrap means fewer resources wasted to produce them thereby considerably reducing the carbon footprint of our customers.

We contribute significantly to digitizing and automating paper-centric operations for our clients, which helps in reducing paper usage, aligning with the global go-green initiative. Additionally, our proprietary product optimizes supply chain planning, diminishing inventory quantities which helps the sustainability initiative on multiple levels like- resources consumed towards logistics, stocking packaging, and scrapping.”

Democratizing Access to Credit

“Lentra's transformative digital lending platform is democratizing access to credit, empowering individuals and businesses across sectors,” highlighted Kiran Moras, EVP of Products and Implementations at Lentra.

He explained, “In a bid to contribute significantly to sustainable development in India, Lentra has embarked on a transformative journey guided by its visionary mission statement, which underscores the establishment of a lending platform designed to foster inclusive development through the democratization of credit. Acknowledging that timely access to credit is pivotal for the sustainable growth of both individuals and businesses, Lentra has positioned itself as a catalyst for positive change.

Lentra's digital lending platform facilitates established financial entities such as banks, NBFCs (Non-Banking Financial Companies), and microfinance companies, and addresses the unique financial needs of a broad spectrum of end customers. This encompasses farmers seeking loans for crop cultivation, dairy cattle, horticulture, fisheries, agri equipment finance, and various other agricultural purposes. By enabling lenders to extend credit to these crucial sectors, Lentra plays a vital role in empowering individuals and businesses engaged in agriculture, contributing directly to the sustainable development of rural communities.

Lentra's innovative lending platform has manifested a transformative impact on a diverse range of stakeholders, embodying the principles of sustainability and democratic values. The platform, designed to support lending across retail, consumer finance, agriculture, and the MSME sectors, has seamlessly addressed the varied financial needs of consumers and businesses in these crucial areas.

A remarkable feat achieved by Lentra is the delivery of loans to farmers at their doorsteps, a process that involves a thorough evaluation of the farmers' requirements and leveraging the latest technologies. Lentra integrates digital verification of land records, weather data, crop information, and irrigation data to provide real-time decisions on loans to farmers. This groundbreaking approach has significantly reduced the time from loan sourcing to disbursal, ensuring that farmers in deep rural areas have access to credit within 30 minutes. By employing such efficient and technology-driven methods, Lentra has democratized access to credit for rural customers, fostering sustainability in agriculture.

In summary, Lentra's lending platform has demonstrated a tangible and positive impact on diverse stakeholders, reflecting the core principles of sustainability and democratic values. By revolutionizing access to credit in agriculture and the MSME sector, Lentra has not only empowered individuals but has also created a model for inclusive innovation that resonates with the broader goals of sustainable development.”

Ethical Dairying Practices

“Sid’s Farm is committed to producing milk free from harmful additives, promoting ethical dairying practices, and raising awareness about milk quality,” said Dr. Kishore Indukuri, Founder of Sid’s Farm Private Limited.

He explained, “Sid’s Farm’s commitment to sustainable development is deeply ingrained in our journey. We are committed to producing milk that is free from antibiotics, synthetic hormones, and adulterants. Our fair payment to farmers and extensive efforts towards screening of milk through 45+ tests on every can helps us make more farmers adopt ethical dairying practices, while at the same time, helping them increase their income. We also encourage customers to question the milk they are consuming. On our platform called Milkology, we raise awareness among students on adulteration. Hopefully, this will lead to a revolution in improving India’s milk quality.”

Promoting Circular Economy

“ReCircle works with stakeholders to promote circularity, facilitating sustainable waste management solutions,” emphasised Rahul Nainani, CEO and Co-Founder of ReCircle.

“We see waste as an opportunity and work closely with all stakeholders in the ecosystem (consumers, collectors, processors, informal waste workers, and businesses) so we can create a more meaningful impact towards circularity. We enable industry giants such as HUL, UNDP India, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages, Mondelez, Tata Starbucks, etc. aiding them in accomplishing their sustainability objectives such as EPR compliance and plastic neutrality.

ClimaOne, our tech-enabled platform, addresses existing challenges via its unified, transparent platform that provides real-time tracking, backed by data analytics, and facilitates connectivity among plastic waste collectors, processors & businesses. It also promotes traceability & sustainable consumption of resources resulting in an ethical and fair supply chain,” said Mr. Nainani.

Health and Sustainability Initiatives

Shweta Tare Sarwate, COO of Utopian Smoothies, affirmed that Utopian Smoothies promotes health and sustainability through preservative-free smoothies and eco-friendly practices.

She said, “Utopian Smoothies, as a healthy smoothies’ brand, has been rooted in a deep commitment to health, authenticity, and societal well-being. Our commitment extends to a preservative-free approach, providing 100% plant-based smoothies enriched with superfoods. Also, shifting from single-use plastics, the brand opts for eco-friendly alternatives like durable PP bottles and encourages reusable containers, reducing packaging waste. Eco-conscious delivery is ensured with canvas bags and repurposed cartons. Beyond smoothies, we strive to instill healthy habits, targeting the youth for a future where health is paramount. We actively contribute to a transformative journey, shaping a sustainable and health-focused tomorrow.

Our innovation has had a positive long-lasting impact on both our internal and external stakeholders. Particularly in the local communities in Pune and Nashik it truly reflects the principles of both sustainability and democratic values.

The collaboration with local farmers has led to innovation, growth of the brand and job creation within the local community. We obtain our fruits, vegetables, and supplies from local communities around Pune and Nashik, promoting local produce and organic farming methods. This approach supports India's agricultural heritage and environmental health and also reduces logistics costs.”

“At Utopian Smoothies, we believe in Sustainable Sourcing Practices, Environmentally Conscious Production, Innovative Packaging Solutions, Community Engagement and Empowerment and Educational Initiatives for Healthy Living – Promoting Indian Superfoods that influence both our internal and external stakeholders. Our collective commitment to wellness and sustainability paves the way for a healthier, more sustainable India” added Sarwate.

As we celebrate Republic Day, let's draw inspiration from these remarkable leaders who are shaping a brighter future for India. Together, their efforts pave the way for a more sustainable and inclusive path ahead.