Not Just a Day, But a Direction: India’s Leaders Reimagine Sustainability

As India celebrates World Environment Day, a tapestry of voices across business, sustainability, and innovation offers a deeper, more personal reflection: that meaningful change begins with not just grand gestures, but the choices we make each day—and the systems we dare to redesign.

From electric buses gliding through Delhi’s streets to floating gardens reviving Bengaluru’s lakes, the common thread is clear: this isn't about ticking a green box. It’s about rethinking everything—from how we manufacture and consume to how we connect faith, technology, and community to protect the planet.

“The problem isn’t plastic. It’s how we manage its lifecycle.”
Jeevaraj Gopal Pillai, Director at UFlex, captures this tension well. "Plastic plays a vital role in modern development… The solution lies in circularity." His team has developed technologies that recycle even complex multi-layered plastic waste, turning it into high-quality raw materials. In a world where plastic is demonised, Pillai’s message is clear: plastic, if managed responsibly, can be a bridge—not a barrier—to sustainability.

Nature Needs Data Too
Sushma Vasudevan from BCG urges us to look up—from waste bins to tree canopies. “India’s forest cover remains far below the target,” she notes. “But platforms like DigiVan are helping monitor and manage 3.3 million hectares through real-time satellite data.” Rajasthan is piloting a first-of-its-kind Forest Data Exchange—proof that smart conservation starts with smarter intelligence.

Progress Begins at the Root
In Delhi, Prime Minister Modi’s symbolic planting of a banyan sapling under the "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" campaign resonates with Dr. Aanchal Jain of PMI Electro Mobility. “We flagged off a new fleet of electric buses today. Our EVs aren’t just saving emissions—they’re shaping cleaner cities,” she says. For her, World Environment Day isn’t a milestone—it’s a checkpoint in a longer race toward green urban transformation.

Gagandeep Sethi, Senior Vice President – Integrated Operations, Sustainability & Responsibility, Pernod Ricard India, says "At Pernod Ricard India, our commitment to sustainability is guided by one belief — that real progress lies at the intersection of people-powered innovation, planet-positive models, and purpose-led partnerships. On World Environment Day, as the global call to combat plastic pollution intensifies, we remain focused on long-term solutions that are inclusive, and innovation led."

He adds that through Advaya, our deep-tech circularity accelerator with IIT Kanpur, and the Social Impact Incubator with IIM Bangalore, we are enabling entrepreneurs building the future of plastic recovery - across bioplastics, plastic-to-energy, and advanced recycling. These initiatives have already diverted over 4.6 lakh kilograms of plastic and agri-waste from landfills, reaffirming the role of enterprise in shaping scalable environmental action. Our Prakriti Incubation Launchpad in Northeast India strengthens this vision by supporting circular solutions rooted in indigenous knowledge - ensuring our approach remains locally anchored and community-powered.
 
Sethi aslo says, "we are also advancing circularity within our own operations. Our bulk 2-liter bottles of Blenders Pride and Royal Stag now incorporate 30% food-grade recycled PET, aligned with global and national food safety standards. We've engineered lighter-weight caps to enhance performance and significantly reduce plastic use - a decisive shift toward sustainable circular design while upholding the highest standards of quality and consumer safety.

From Waste to Worth
Cashify’s CMO Nakul Kumar cuts through the noise with raw numbers: India generates over 1.75 million tonnes of e-waste annually, and only a quarter is recycled. “That’s not just an environmental crisis—it’s a $60 billion missed opportunity,” he says. But the solution? “Reimagining yesterday’s waste as tomorrow’s resource. This is not charity. It’s smart economics.”

Echoing this is Abhishek Agashe, Co-founder of Elima. “We don’t lack waste—we lack systems that can turn it into value,” he explains. He pushes for an RLI (Recycling-Linked Incentive) scheme and a strong Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework. "Circularity isn’t just waste management. It’s a climate strategy and a jobs plan."

Sustainability Is in the Details
For Divya Prakash Choraria, CEO and Co-founder of Wattpower, even clean energy must be clean in its construction. “It’s not just what we build—it’s how we build it,” she says. Responsible sourcing, waste management, and long-term durability are non-negotiables in her vision of solar power.

Ankit Mathur of Greenway Grameen puts the onus on everyday people. “Sustainability starts with the individual,” he says. "Do I really need this, or can I make what I have last longer?" His reminder is simple yet intense: change doesn’t start big—it starts consistent.

Corporate Stewardship, Community Roots
Hyundai Motor India’s Puneet Anand describes a powerful grassroots movement in Gurugram, where their EcoGram project has recycled over 11 lakh kilos of waste and reduced more than 1.4 lakh kilos of CO₂. “Our vision of ‘Progress for Humanity’ starts with action, not ambition,” he says.

At Diligent India, Senior VP Srinivas Chamarthy speaks of 180 employees coming together to restore Iblur Lake using floating gardens. “Sustainability is a shared responsibility,” he says. His team also hosts workshops on reusing plastic bottles and waste segregation—small actions that ripple into lasting change.

When Culture Becomes Climate Action
Faith and sustainability converged at the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025, where over 12 metric tonnes of PET bottles were collected under the #MaidaanSaaf campaign by Foundation for Climate Protection (FCP) and Coca-Cola India’s Anandana Foundation. “This wasn’t just about waste—it was about setting a new global standard,” says Anshika from FCP.

Luxury Meets Responsibility
And finally, in a sector not typically associated with green footprints, ITC Hotels has become the first Indian hotel chain to receive the 2024 US Green Building Council Leadership Award. “Luxury and sustainability don’t have to be opposites,” said Mr. H. C. Vinayaka. “They can co-exist beautifully.”

This World Environment Day, India’s changemakers aren’t just celebrating—they are challenging the nation to dream bigger and act smarter. The message is clear: there is no single solution to the environmental crisis, but there is one shared direction. Whether through data, design, policy, or personal choice, the path forward is circular, inclusive, and deeply human.

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