National, India | 13th November 2026 : Recykal, India's leading
technology platform for waste management and circular economy, announces
cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar joining as a strategic investor, reinforcing its
mission to make responsible waste behaviour a national habit.
The association brings together one of India's most trusted sporting
icons and the country's pioneering circular economy platform around a shared
belief: that India's waste challenge is, at its core, a challenge of
behavioural change. The association comes as an extension of Recykal’s recently
closed USD 23 million bridge round, and together, they aim to inspire a
nationwide shift in how Indians think about waste, encouraging every citizen to
see it not as something to discard, but as a valuable resource that can be
recovered, returned and given a second life.
Talking about the association, Sachin Tendulkar, strategic
investor, Recykal, said, "Throughout my career, I've learnt that
lasting success is built on discipline and consistent efforts, however big or
small. The same is true for building a cleaner India. What drew me to Recykal was seeing how
technology was being used to solve an everyday problem. Recykal’s mission to
use technology to drive behavioural change across 1 billion people is what
really connected with me, and I hope together we can encourage more people to
make responsible choices every day."
As the strategic investor, Tendulkar will help champion a nationwide
movement to make responsible waste behaviour an everyday habit, carrying
forward the spirit of Swachh Bharat into its next chapter. With the association
with Tendulkar, Recykal
aspires to make returning waste, recycling responsibly and participating in the
circular economy second nature for every Indian.
Speaking on the partnership, Abhay Deshpande, CEO & Co-Founder,
Recykal, said, "Recykal
was built on a simple conviction that the circular economy is fundamentally a
technology problem. Deposit Return Systems are perhaps the clearest expression
of this thesis, bringing together technology, logistics and behavioural change
to transform how packaging waste is recovered. To have Sachin join us as a
strategic investor is incredibly meaningful. For decades, he has inspired
millions of Indians through his discipline, integrity and ability to unite
people around a common purpose. Together, we hope to inspire a movement where
doing the right thing for the environment becomes an everyday habit."
Earlier in June 2026, Recykal closed its USD 23
million bridge round, comprising a mix of primary and secondary capital from
existing investors and select new family offices. The capital is being deployed
to strengthen Recykal's technology platform and Open Marketplace, scale its Deposit
Return System (DRS) to drive behavioural change in waste management, and
support the company's international expansion. Tendulkar's investment extends
this round, further aligning Recykal's long-term vision with its public
mission.
About Recykal
Founded in 2015, Recykal is a globally
recognised, Hyderabad-headquartered
technology company driving behavioural change in waste management
through digital platforms, Deposit Return Systems (DRS), and circular commerce
of recyclable materials. The company also develops AI-enabled hardware
solutions, including reverse vending machines, indigenously designed and
manufactured in India, helping businesses, and governments across the globe by
making material recovery measurable, scalable and economically viable. It has
channelised over 30,00,000+ MT of waste by empowering 650 brands like Hindustan
Unilever, Samsung, BMW etc, and more than 5000 aggregators and recyclers.
Here's the announcement video- https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EvnY7zywA-AJBDeEjA-rqCevKP7quo4p/view
for your reference
