The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), in partnership with the Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC) at IIT Kanpur, recently launched the second cohort of 32 clean-tech startups under the Swachh Bharat Mission–Urban. Announced at the Swachhata Startup Conclave in New Delhi, the initiative builds on the success of the first cohort, which saw 20 startups scale to a combined valuation of Rs 5 billion while creating over 2,000 jobs.

MoS MoHUA Shri Tokhan Sahu highlighted the Mission’s decade-long shift from conventional waste management to technology-led solutions and emphasised the role of startups in accelerating a cleaner and more self-reliant urban ecosystem. He also outlined plans for a national platform to link innovators, urban local bodies, investors and stakeholders, enabling faster deployment of homegrown solutions.

India’s growing startup ecosystem, including over 5,000 waste-management ventures registered with DPIIT, is transforming urban service delivery. Under SBM-U 2.0, startups are contributing innovations across the waste value chain, from mechanised manhole cleaning to circular-economy enterprises and advanced tracking systems.

Cohort 2 startups will receive access to incubation, mentorship, R&D facilities and market linkages through IIT Kanpur. Together with urban local body partnerships, the programme aims to scale effective sanitation and waste-management solutions across the country, reinforcing the Mission’s vision of cleaner, greener cities.