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India Pitches Circular Economy for Resource-Efficient Growth at WCEF 2026
India is hosting a large meeting about how to use materials more wisely.
The government says a circular economy should not only mean recycling rubbish.
It should also mean designing products that last longer, can be repaired and can be reused.
People should also change how they consume and throw things away.
More than 3,600 people from 62 countries are attending the meeting.
India says thousands of producers and recyclers are already working under waste-management rules.
A vehicle company said information from old cars can help make better new cars.
Computers, artificial intelligence and sensors may help identify useful and dangerous materials.
The goal is to waste less value and keep materials in use for longer.
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said India wants circular economy policy to extend beyond recycling and waste management.
The four-day World Circular Economy Forum 2026 is attracting more than 3,600 participants from 62 countries in its first South Asian edition.
India reported 83,000-plus producers and 4,802 recyclers registered under various extended producer responsibility frameworks as of August 2026.
Speakers said product design, repair, reuse, material recovery and consumption changes are essential to reducing resource waste.
Mahindra & Mahindra said data, artificial intelligence and vehicle-dismantling networks could improve durability, recyclability and recycled-material use.
- Who
- Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, businesses, researchers, policymakers and other circular-economy stakeholders.
- What
- India is promoting a circular economy focused on resource efficiency, industrial resilience, sustainable growth and product redesign, rather than recycling alone.
- Where
- The World Circular Economy Forum 2026 is being held in Gujarat, India, for the first time in South Asia.
- When
- The forum is taking place in 2026; Yadav cited registration figures as of August 2026.
- Why
- The initiative aims to reduce wasted value, improve resource efficiency and return recovered materials to production.
Key facts
- Forum
- World Circular Economy Forum 2026
- Duration
- Four days
- Participation
- More than 3,600 stakeholders from 62 countries
- Exhibitors
- Approximately 135 national and international exhibitors
- Registered producers
- More than 83,000 under various extended producer responsibility frameworks as of August 2026
- Registered recyclers
- 4,802 as of August 2026
- Waste processed
- Nearly 482.24 lakh tonnes across regulated waste streams
Quotes
Senthilkumaran Varatharajan
Senior general manager at Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd
“The true measure of a circular economy will not be how much waste we recycle, but how little value we allow to be wasted.”
financialexpress.com
“Longevity is sustainability”
financialexpress.com
Sources
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