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econscious: Journey From College Trekking To ₹ 1 Cr. Revenue

econscious founders Sonal Shukla and Vaibhav Verma turned waste into ₹ 1 Cr. revenue, focused on recycling plastic waste to make durable and innovative products of utility and décor.

By Saroj Kumawat
New Update
econscious

econscious Photograph: (econscious)

This is an inspiring Startup Success Story of econscious, a startup founded by NIT friends Sonal Shukla and Vaibhav Verma. The journey began with a disappointing experience. But instead of overlooking the problem, they turned it into an opportunity, starting a new chapter to bridge a crucial gap.

NIT Friends To Founders

Both buddies — Sonal Shukla and Vaibhav Verma — launched Delhi-based econscious, offering plastic waste management services.

Sonal Shukla, an inspirational entrepreneur and passionate about making a positive impact through innovation and sustainability. Vaibhav Verma, driven by his love for the environment and a vision for a better future, pursued a career in waste management with a focus on plastic waste. Both are eco-lovers and completed their masters from the National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra.

Later, they embarked on friends to founders' journey when they found a gap in waste managmnent sector, facing a disappointing experience. But, the best part of their story is that they saw the problem as an opportunity and turned it into business.

Inspiration Behind econscious

In the final days of their MTech course at NIT Kurukshetra, Sonal, Vaibhav, and their batchmates went on a winter trek to Parashar Lake in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, just before the COVID-19 outbreak in March 2020. However, during the trekking, what they experienced became a turning point in their life.

They were captivated by the beauty of stunning mountains, serene landscapes, and natural charm. However, they were disappointed to see that the stunning beauty of the mountains is being deeply affected because of the plastic waste spreading all around, which has spoiled the natural view. This experience became a wake-up call for both NIT friends — Sonal and Vaibhav.

Furthermore, they realized that plastic waste not only damages natural beauty but also poses serious threats to the environment, such as harming marine life, reducing soil fertility, endangering human health, and contributing 3-4% to global CO2 emissions.

Founders' love for the environment led them to the founding of a business as a solution that aims to divert plastic waste as much as possible, offering a solution to tackle this environmental issue.

Also read- Profitable Future Business Ideas in India for 2025, 2030, 2050.

Concept To Creation

Turning a concept into reality wasn't a cup of tea—it's a long journey fuelled by the collective efforts of the founders.

Working around the clock, they achieved a breakthrough in processing to recycle plastic waste. First, plastic waste is gathered from various sources like homes, businesses, and communities. The collected plastic is cleaned and turned into small flakes.

These flakes are then compressed into eco-boards, which are durable materials that can be used to create products like park benches, dustbins, planters, and eco-friendly gifts.

Finally, they took a leap of faith and embarked on their journey, launching econscious in 2020.

What do econscious does?

Driven by their love for the environment, the NIT friends — Sonal Shukla and Vaibhav Verma — launched the solution econscious, a plastic waste management platform.

Delhi-based social impact startup econscious was launched in 2020 with a mission to reduce carbon footprints by collecting and upcycling plastic waste. 

The company focuses on transforming collected plastic waste into useful products that contribute to a more sustainable and eco-friendly future. The products they create include items such as planters, pots, office supplies, and public utility products like benches and dustbins for outdoor spaces.

With a vision of a zero-waste society, the company aims to change society's perception of recycled products, positioning them as valuable, impactful, and essential for a more sustainable future.

Also read-  Best Business Ideas Under 5 Lakhs in India for 2025.

Challenges On The path of Entrepreneurship

Starting the journey amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it was a challenge to source material, develop prototypes and obtain customer feedback.

Additionally, one of the main challenges for econscious is navigating compliance and regulations, which are typically designed for large industries. There are no clear guidelines for small startups which employ 15 to 20 people.

To overcome these challenges, the founders' strong desire and innovative ideas played a significant role in their journey. Now, their efforts not only save energy but also reduce the environmental impact.

What's next- econscious

econscious aims to scale its operations by handling larger volumes of plastic waste and expanding its presence to multiple geographical locations.

By investing in advanced recycling technology and infrastructure, they plan to increase their processing capacity and enhance their ability to produce a diverse range of high-quality products.

Additionally, the company plans to create products with longer life cycles to prevent even recycled plastic items from ending up in landfills. Their goal is to produce durable, versatile products that offer long-term value. The company also intends to expand its market reach both within India and internationally, growing its presence and impact on a global scale.

NIT Friends’ journey with econscious serves as an inspiring example of how vision, resilience, and strategic thinking can lead to remarkable success.

Also read- About Venture Builders - What are they and how do they help startups?

FAQ

What does econscious do?
econscious, a social impact startup focused on recycling plastic waste to make durable and innovative utility and décor products.
Who are the founders of econscious?
Sonal Shukla and Vaibhav Verma are the founders of econscious.
Where is the Headquarter of econscious?
Delhi is the Headquarter of econscious.
When econscious was founded?
econscious was founded in 2020.
Also read- Best Business Ideas Under 1 Lakh in India for 2025