Circular Bharat Accelerator
in partnership with
NSRCEL, is supporting the Circular Bharat Accelerator through a strategic partnership with HUL and NITI Aayog, along with Xynteo, in bringing together industry, policy, and ecosystem expertise to support startups with go‑to‑market refinement, pilot access, and pathways to scale for India’s circularity and resource-efficiency needs.
Circular Bharat Accelerator is part of Project Circular Bharat (PCB), HUL’s national plastics circularity programme helping India’s shift to a circular economy. PCB is an end-to-end, systems model that integrates three levers: behaviour change for source segregation, social inclusion of waste workers, and integrated recycling infrastructure. Built through multi-stakeholder collaboration, it demonstrates scalable, replicable impact. As the model matures, the next phase will also focus on scaling innovation – by enabling startups to turn proven solutions into deployable, market-ready models.
Register Your Interest
*Note - This form is only for expressing interest in the program. The actual application form is the final step in the registration process.
in partnership with
NSRCEL, is supporting the Circular Bharat Accelerator through a strategic partnership with HUL and NITI Aayog, alongwith Xynteo, in bringing together industry, policy, and ecosystem expertise to support startups with go‑to‑market refinement, pilot access, and pathways to scale for India’s circularity and resource-efficiency needs.
Circular Bharat Accelerator is part of Project Circular Bharat (PCB), HUL’s national plastics circularity programme helping India’s shift to a circular economy. PCB is an end-to-end, systems model that integrates three levers: behaviour change for source segregation, social inclusion of waste workers, and integrated recycling infrastructure. Built through multi-stakeholder collaboration, it demonstrates scalable, replicable impact. As the model matures, the next phase will also focus on scaling innovation – by enabling startups to turn proven solutions into deployable, market-ready models.
Program Highlights
GTM-Focused Support
Practical go-to-market support centered on real-market adoption
Structured Pilot-Readiness
Preparation to align solutions with industry and government needs
Multi-Stakeholder Market Access
Build connections through roundtables with corporates, policymakers, and ecosystem partners
1-on-1 Mentoring
Guidance aligned to each startup’s business model and stage
Grant Support
Milestone-based grant support for select pilot-ready startups
Long-Term Alumni Ecosystem
Continued alumni access for selected startups
Program Eligibility
To be part of this exclusive program, you must:
Tech-enabled circularity-centric ventures
Incorporated in india
Operational for at least a year
Market-ready product
Market-ready product
Early-revenue startup, and pilot-ready (TRL 5+)
Pilot-Ready (TRL 5+)
Sectors in Focus
From innovating in plastic circularity to closing material loops across industries, looking for startups creating real-world, deployable solutions in the following sectors and beyond –
Plastic circularity & sustainable packaging
Advanced recycling & waste processing
Reuse, refill & alternative delivery systems
Circular supply chains & resource efficiency
E-waste & electronic circularity
Textiles & next-generation materials
Selection Process
Step 1
Application Submission
Step 2
Application Review
Step 3
Screening by Program Team
Step 4
Jury Evaluation
Step 5
Venture Due-Diligence
Step 6
Onboarding into the Program
Step 4
Jury Evaluation
Step 5
Venture Due-Diligence
Step 6
Onboarding into the Program
Senior Leadership Quotes
“By empowering start ups that are redefining how India uses and values its resources, we are unlocking solutions that can cut waste, reimagine recycling and build the green industries of tomorrow.”
Dr Deepak Bagla
Mission Director, Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog
“This partnership between NITI Aayog and HUL is a significant step in building India’s circular economy for plastics. It reflects our firm belief that what is good for India is good for HUL. By combining the strengths of government, industry expertise and entrepreneurial energy, we aim to empower next generation sustainability start ups and scale practical solutions at speed.”
BP Biddappa
Executive Director and Chief People, Transformation and Sustainability Officer, Hindustan Unilever
“Scaling circular economy ventures demands an ecosystem that moves in coordination-aligning capital, regulation, market access, and technical capability. Beyond mentorship, this program is structured to systematically de-risk innovation by enabling early validation, industry integration, and policy alignment. Through curated industry pilots, regulatory engagement, and ecosystem partnerships, we are building clear commercialization pathways for startups. At NSRCEL, our focus is on converting ecosystem capital into measurable outcomes-accelerating enterprise readiness, facilitating first-of-its-kind deployments, and enabling startups to transition from experimentation to enterprise-scale impact.”
Anand Sri Ganesh
CEO, NSRCEL
“Circularity at scale demands aligned ecosystems. Through the Project Circular Bharat, we are enabling collaboration across government, industry and startups to build and accelerate solutions that are viable, investable, and nationally relevant.”
Vipul Kumar
Partner & Managing Director India, Xynteo
Meet the Mentors
Nagaraja Prakasam
Resident Mentor@NSRCEL, Angel Investor, Fund Advisor
Vinod Chandramouli
Co-founder
Badri Narayanan
Senior Advisor, Savoria Former CEO, Samunnati Ex Unilever
Randhir Mishra
Business Mentor, Director@Metacog Innovations and Capalyst Ventures
Pamli Deka
Head Energy Transition World Resources Institute India
Malavika R Harita
Resident Mentor@NSRCEL, Founder & CEO@Brand Circle
