Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Monday that India's municipal solid and liquid waste holds the potential to become a Rs 5-lakh-crore business if converted into useful products. Speaking at the Times of India Social Impact Summit in Mumbai, he said the country can generate employment, promote clean energy, and improve sustainability through a waste-to-wealth model.
Waste-to-wealth can drive jobs and sustainability
Gadkari gave a personal example from his own constituency to illustrate the opportunity. “For the past nine years, I have been selling treated toilet water from my constituency, earning ₹300 crore annually,” he said.
He also cited a waste treatment project in Mathura. “The particulates are treated with organic culture, and the extracted sludge is converted into bio-flocculants,” he explained. He said the treated sewage, which once flowed into the Yamuna, is now used by an Indian Oil refinery. “If we scale this up nationally, the potential is enormous.”
“With the right approach, we can convert waste into wealth, create jobs, and address environmental concerns,” Gadkari said. He added that plastics can be turned into fuel, sewage into industrial water, and garbage into products that can be sold.
Focus on clean energy and land rehabilitation
The minister also spoke about the use of biomass in power generation. “Thermal plants have traditionally used coal, but NTPC and the Maharashtra government have started using biomass—also known as white coal. It costs ₹7 per unit but is far cleaner,” he said.
He highlighted the opportunity in land restoration. “We’ve invested ₹5 crore to develop 1.5 lakh hectares,” he said. According to him, 17 percent of India’s land is classified as wasteland. He suggested bamboo plantations to generate biomass and tree plantations near mining areas to earn carbon credits.
CSR impact must go beyond compliance
Sivakumar Sundaram, CEO (Publishing), The Times of India, said that corporate social responsibility (CSR) needs to evolve beyond just financial spending. “India’s CSR investment was approximately ₹30,000 crore last year,” he said. “But more important than the quantum is the quality—how we measure impact, how we embed sustainability into strategy, and how we turn compliance into conscience.”
(With inputs from TOI)
Waste-to-wealth can drive jobs and sustainability
Gadkari gave a personal example from his own constituency to illustrate the opportunity. “For the past nine years, I have been selling treated toilet water from my constituency, earning ₹300 crore annually,” he said.
He also cited a waste treatment project in Mathura. “The particulates are treated with organic culture, and the extracted sludge is converted into bio-flocculants,” he explained. He said the treated sewage, which once flowed into the Yamuna, is now used by an Indian Oil refinery. “If we scale this up nationally, the potential is enormous.”
“With the right approach, we can convert waste into wealth, create jobs, and address environmental concerns,” Gadkari said. He added that plastics can be turned into fuel, sewage into industrial water, and garbage into products that can be sold.
Focus on clean energy and land rehabilitation
The minister also spoke about the use of biomass in power generation. “Thermal plants have traditionally used coal, but NTPC and the Maharashtra government have started using biomass—also known as white coal. It costs ₹7 per unit but is far cleaner,” he said.
He highlighted the opportunity in land restoration. “We’ve invested ₹5 crore to develop 1.5 lakh hectares,” he said. According to him, 17 percent of India’s land is classified as wasteland. He suggested bamboo plantations to generate biomass and tree plantations near mining areas to earn carbon credits.
CSR impact must go beyond compliance
Sivakumar Sundaram, CEO (Publishing), The Times of India, said that corporate social responsibility (CSR) needs to evolve beyond just financial spending. “India’s CSR investment was approximately ₹30,000 crore last year,” he said. “But more important than the quantum is the quality—how we measure impact, how we embed sustainability into strategy, and how we turn compliance into conscience.”
(With inputs from TOI)
You may also like
Goodreads faces backlash as authors speak out on 'homophobic reviewers' and trolls
Great British Sewing Bee start time, contestants and judges for 2025 series
Beautiful part of UK social media has turned into a 'densely crowded theme park'
Donald Trump warned of nuclear war by Russia over new Ukraine arms supply
Chaos in Majorca as tourism protesters set fire to pictures of hotel owners
