Scaling Circular Solutions: India’s Circular Bioeconomy Innovation Hub Initiative

The CGIAR initiative on Nature-Positive Solutions (NATURE+), in collaboration with BAIF Development Research Foundation and other key stakeholders in India’s circular economy sector, established a Circular Bioeconomy Innovation Hub (CBE-IH) in India. One year since its inception, the hub organized field demonstrations, piloted business models and hosted a range of activities – from innovation challenges and webinars to a stakeholder roundtable and the establishment of a secretariat. With strong momentum and growing stakeholder interest, the hub is poised to advance nature-positive agriculture and accelerate the transition to a circular economy.

Top image: A biochar business model pilot was established in the Shahada cluster, a NATURE+ worksite in India. Credit: BAIF

Read the NATURE+ Circular Bioeconomy India Fact Sheet

By: Mansi Tripathi, Researcher, Resource Recovery and Reuse, International Water Management Institute (IWMI), India; Solomie Gebrezgabher, Senior Researcher, Economics, and co-lead of NATURE+, IWMI (Ghana), and Alok Sikka, Principal Researcher & NATURE+ Country Representative, IWMI (India)

“What’s particularly exciting is the rise of initiatives like these, which are turning sustainability and circularity into something tangible, scalable, and monetarily potent. It’s clear that the future lies in aligning sustainable practices with entrepreneurial opportunities, and it’s exciting to be part of that shift,” said Ria Thapliyal, 24, a Masters student at IIT Delhi, currently pursuing an internship at Université Grenoble Alpes and the first runner up at the Circular Bio-Economy Innovation Challenge 2024 for innovation on “New Materials from Free Resources” focusing on decentralized production¹.

Testimonies like these have kept spirits high for the International Water Management Institute, BAIF Development Research Foundation and CGIAR’s Nature-Positive Solutions Initiative since the launch of India’s Circular Bioeconomy Innovation Hub (CBE-IH) in December 2023 by Dr. Himanshu Pathak, former Secretary (DARE) & Director General (ICAR) Govt. of India.

Since its inception, the hub has been paving the way for transformative change by turning biodegradable waste into wealth, with a special focus on youth and women entrepreneurs. In its first year, efforts centered on building a base of direct beneficiaries, ranging from school students in the tribal villages of Maharashtra to youth like Ria from cities and prestigious institutional backgrounds. But what unites them is their shared enthusiasm and drive to be changemakers. Engaging directly with such a diverse group has highlighted the immense potential of the CBE-IH in India – a country with complex challenges but equally vast opportunities.

Since its launch under NATURE+, the hub’s co-owners IWMI and BAIF have led a range of activities including training and capacity building programs, piloting of business models, exposure visits, innovation challenges (bootcamp and hackathon), thematic webinars and stakeholder consultations. In just one year, over 400 participants directly benefited from these efforts. Focused on sustainable waste management and circular economy principles, the hub has been instrumental in transforming the way rural and tribal communities in Maharashtra perceive and utilize waste while also empowering youth from both urban and rural backgrounds with visions for circularity.

Through targeted training programs and practical demonstrations, rural farmers and entrepreneurs are learning innovative recycling methods such as biogas production, biochar processing, and Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae-based waste management. These solutions integrate agricultural and livestock residues into productive economic resources, fostering environmental sustainability, economic development, and community well-being.

Circular Bioeconomy Innovation Hub (CBE-IH) highlights in 2024

Over the past year, notable advances have been made in training and capacity-building initiatives, including seven sessions held in rural Maharashtra, which trained over 400 participants in sustainable waste management practices like the ones shown in the figure below.

To ensure greater adoption, the training materials on biochar, composting and biogas were developed in the local language, Marathi. Various circular economy models were successfully implemented, such as household biogas units that transform livestock waste into clean cooking fuel, reducing the use of up to 12 liquified petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders annually for 10 households. Tribal schools also benefited from biogas units that convert food waste into energy, minimizing reliance on firewood and LPG. Furthermore, biochar production units were introduced to convert agricultural residues into biochar, enhancing soil fertility while reducing air pollution from residue burning.

The Innovation Challenge 2024, led by IWMI and BAIF, promoted youth-driven solutions in the circular economy. The top-selected project focused on improving methane yield using algae-based systems, while other innovative ideas included biodegradable materials, food waste donation platforms, and AI-powered solutions for agricultural waste^2,3,4.  A knowledge exchange webinar was conducted on supporting a Black Soldier Fly Unit at Vigyan Ashram, Pune, where experts from IWMI and Protein Masters, Kenya shared scientific and practical insights with potential entrepreneurs⁵.

Stakeholder collaboration played a crucial role in these efforts, with a successful stakeholder onboarding workshop attended by 32 participants, representing 14 organizations, including research institutions and startups, contributing to scaling up the initiatives. The roundtable paved the way to the kind of engagement that the stakeholders are looking forward to, eventually leading to onboarding of 10+ potential partners.

Additionally, an Innovation Hub Secretariat was established at the BAIF Central Research Station (CRS), Urlikanchan. The initiative aims to expand the scope of existing circularity models and develop new models for demonstration and training purposes.

“Linking climate discourse with bioeconomy initiatives, could open avenues for climate finance and carbon credits. Through the Innovation Hub, INECC can provide educational support to local bankers to encourage funding for such projects.” – Dr. Priyadarshini Karve, Indian Network on Ethics and Climate Change (INECC) at the Stakeholder uptake roundtable, 20^th Dec 2024

 “While finance is a critical missing element in the circular bio-economy space, CTARA and the Centre for Policy Studies can contribute substantially to the innovation hub in technology development, entrepreneurship and policy advocacy.” Dr. Anant Rao, Head Centre for Technology Alternatives for Rural Areas (CTARA), Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, at the Stakeholder uptake roundtable, 20^th Dec 2024

Impact and Road Ahead

The CBE-IH initiative has made a tangible impact across multiple areas. Environmentally, it has advanced environmental sustainability by introducing biogas units and biochar production, which are instrumental in reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Economically, it has created new income opportunities for farmers and entrepreneurs by transforming waste into valuable resources. The initiative is also helping to improve livelihoods by promoting cleaner cooking fuels and waste management practices, leading to better public health and hygiene. Furthermore, it is empowering women and youth with essential skills, enabling them to drive sustainable business growth and create job opportunities.

Leveraging its growing stakeholder network and successful on-ground demonstrations, the CBE IH aims to scale up circular economy models to new regions, enhance inclusivity by involving women, youth, and Indigenous communities, and advocate for policy changes and funding to support sustainable development. By transforming agricultural residues into valuable resources, the CBE-IH initiative aligns with India’s sustainability goals and offers a replicable framework for addressing similar challenges in other areas. With its mission to build resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, the hub serves not just as a project but as a movement toward a more nature-positive future.

 For more details, visit: cbeihindia.com.

References:

1. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ria-thapliyal-3560921b9_what-an-incredible-two-days-at-the-circular-activity-7251261153123651585-rtoj?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
2. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/iwmi_circulareconomy-youthempowerment-onecgiar-activity-7250496632767590401-N1ag?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
3. https://youtu.be/HFfN7rXJmpo?si=3mSnZ3m-Pvz9zzkg
4. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/iwmi_circulareconomy-womeninstem-activity-7229042418275250176-Eozy?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
5. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/viswadev-v-s-1b78aa208_webinar-alert-activity-7234752397913280512-NtIM?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
6. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zqQIRzT0f02afr9vw5Bh9hXugLvXHb2j