DPIIT, Stride Ventures name Winner of Bharat Startup Challenge 2025 with Rs 10 Cr Funding

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), in collaboration with Startup India and Stride Ventures, has announced Buoyancy Plastics for Change Recycling Private Limited as the winner of the Bharat Startup Grand Challenge 2025. This initiative aims to recognize and support impactful, homegrown startups making a difference in critical sectors.

Selected from over 120 applications submitted over a 30-day period, the winning startup emerged from a diverse pool of entries representing 22 states, with participation from startups focused on sustainability, fintech, and e-mobility.

Founded in 2015, Plastics for Change is dedicated to creating a Fair Trade–certified recycled plastics supply chain. The company specializes in the ethical sourcing and aggregation of plastic waste to deliver high-quality rPET, rHDPE, and rPP materials to recycling partners. With a current collection capacity exceeding 20,000 tons, the startup works closely with informal waste workers, helping integrate them into the formal economy and expand its impact in India’s plastic recycling ecosystem.

Stride Ventures, India’s largest venture debt fund, has invested over $1 billion in more than 170 startups in the last five years. With a growing presence in Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, and London, Stride Ventures recently signed an MoU with DPIIT to provide funding, mentorship, market access, and global scale opportunities for Indian startups.

This marks Stride Ventures’ first time hosting the Bharat Startup Grand Challenge. As part of the recognition, the firm has committed to investing up to ?10 crore in the winning startup—subject to due diligence—along with offering mentorship, ecosystem support, and access to its global network to help scale the startup’s sustainability and circularity initiatives in India.