New Delhi [India], December 11 (ANI): Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) at NITI Aayog and Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) joined hands today to speed up India's shift to a circular economy, marking a major push toward reducing waste and reusing materials across the country, as per a NITI Aayog release.

At the centre of this effort is a new nationwide start-up acceleration programme under HUL's Project Circular Bharat. The plan is to find and support 50 young start-ups over the next three years. These start-ups will work on simple but important ideas that help India reuse more and throw away less.

The programme focuses first on plastics, and looks for start-ups creating ways to recycle plastic, set up reuse and refill systems, or build new kinds of packaging materials. It will also support solutions for waste beyond plastics, including textiles and e-waste, which continue to grow across cities.

AIM, HUL and Xynteo will together offer selected start-ups guidance from business leaders, policy experts and investors. Some start-ups may receive grants and a chance to test their ideas in the real market. The partnership brings AIM's policy strength, HUL's industry experience, and Xynteo's strategy support to help promising ideas grow faster.

BP Biddappa, Executive Director and Chief People, Transformation and Sustainability Officer at HUL, said the partnership shows how government and industry can work together to solve large waste problems. He 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 startups and scale practical solutions at speed.'

Deepak Bagla, Mission Director, AIM, NITI Aayog, said the collaboration follows the country's larger vision of responsible growth. He said, 'This collaboration builds on the ethos and vision articulated by the Hon'ble Prime Minister, who has affirmed that 'For us, sustainable development is not just a slogan; it is a commitment.' 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.' (ANI)