Can the AIM–HUL New Accelerator Programme Spark a Circular Shift?

In a decisive push to scale India’s sustainability momentum, NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) have launched a national startup acceleration programme under Project Circular Bharat. The mission: identify and nurture 50 high-potential circular economy startups over the next three years, with a sharp focus on plastics circularity, advanced recycling, reuse-and-refill models, and next-generation sustainable packaging.

The accelerator will also widen its scope to textile waste, e-waste, and other material recovery sectors, strengthening the country’s pipeline of green innovators.

A COUNTRY AT A CROSSROADS

India’s waste challenge has grown in step with its economic rise. Plastics pile up faster than they can be collected. Textiles discarded by a fast-fashion generation often escape recycling. E-waste mountains rise without organised recovery systems. Amid this complexity, a new breed of founders is emerging—those who see waste not as a burden, but as an untapped resource.

But innovation alone does not guarantee impact. Early-stage sustainability start-ups often lack access to mentorship, markets, pilot opportunities, and investment—the very levers required to turn prototypes into nationally scalable solutions.

This is exactly the gap AIM and HUL have stepped in to close.

CHALLENGES OF SCALE MEET THE POWER OF COLLABORATION

The newly launched AIM–HUL programme acts as a structured launchpad, combining:

• AIM’s nationwide innovation network and policy insight, and

• HUL’s industry scale, supply-chain reach, and sustainability-driven roadmap

The initiative also integrates strategic support from Xynteo, amplifying its ability to build market-linked, high-impact solutions.

Start-ups selected for the accelerator will gain:
✔ Curated mentorship from industry leaders, policy experts, and investors
✔ Pilot deployment support to validate solutions in real-world settings
✔ Potential grant assistance to build commercial readiness
✔ A clearer pathway to investment attractiveness

Together, the partnership aims to turn today’s circular innovations into tomorrow’s industry benchmarks.

BP Biddappa, Executive Director and Chief People, Transformation & Sustainability Officer at HUL, called the collaboration a pivotal moment in India’s circularity journey:

“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.”

Reinforcing this, Dr. Deepak Bagla, Mission Director, AIM, NITI Aayog, emphasised the government’s vision:

“This collaboration builds on the ethos articulated by the Hon’ble Prime Minister—‘For us, sustainable development is not just a slogan; it is a commitment.’ By empowering start-ups 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.”

TOWARDS A CIRCULAR, GREEN, RESILIENT INDIA

India is fast becoming home to a dynamic cohort of sustainability-led ventures—from clean-tech innovators to pioneers in waste management, alternative materials, and climate-first mobility.

The AIM–HUL partnership is expected to:

• Strengthen the circular economy start-up pipeline
• Build robust value chains across plastics, textiles, and e-waste
• Generate green jobs and support local livelihoods
• Offer scalable alternatives to the linear “take–make–dispose” model
• Advance India’s net-zero pathways and global climate commitments

Experts believe this initiative could serve as a catalytic force—bridging the persistent gap between innovation and market adoption, a challenge often cited by founders working at the intersection of technology, sustainability, and impact.

The Three-Year Test That Could Rewrite India’s Circular Future

As the AIM–HUL accelerator takes shape, the stakes are clear: if the programme delivers with the urgency and precision India needs, the country could emerge as a global front-runner in circular economy innovation—exporting not only breakthrough products but also new models of consumption and resource recovery.

The next three years will be the real test. They will reveal whether empowering 50 start-ups can ignite a wider movement—one strong enough to inspire hundreds more and lay the foundation for a circular transformation capable of reshaping India’s economic future.