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NITI Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission and Hindustan Unilever Limited have announced a national startup acceleration programme aimed at strengthening India's shift toward a circular economy.
The initiative is part of Hindustan Unilever's Project Circular Bharat and will support 50 startups over the next three years.
The programme will place special focus on solutions that improve plastics circularity. These include innovations in plastic recycling, reuse and refill models as well as new packaging materials. It will also extend support to start ups working on material recovery in other forms of post consumer waste such as textiles and electronic waste.
Selected startups will receive tailored mentorship from business leaders, policy specialists and investors. They may also become eligible for grant support along with opportunities to pilot their solutions for market validation. The collaboration brings together the policy and innovation expertise of Atal Innovation Mission and NITI Aayog, the industry network of Hindustan Unilever and the strategic capabilities of Xynteo.
BP Biddappa, Executive Director and Chief People, Transformation and Sustainability Officer at Hindustan Unilever, said, "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."
Dr Deepak Bagla, Mission Director of Atal Innovation Mission at NITI Aayog, said, "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."
This article was originally published by the 
