Startup founders brainstorm solutions to tackle Delhi’s air pollution

Around 40 startup founders and business representatives met in the national capital on Saturday to discuss problem-focused solutions to tackle Delhi’s worsening air pollution, according to a statement.

The meeting, held at Central Park, was attended by representatives from venture capital and private equity firms, along with startups working in sectors such as mobility, agriculture and air purification. Participants shared their interventions and discussed challenges related to scaling these solutions for wider impact.

Vishal Lavti, co-founder of carpooling and bike-pooling platform Quick Ride, said private vehicles contribute significantly to the city’s pollution levels. He noted that while long-term solutions such as electric vehicles will help, immediate steps like carpooling can deliver quick gains without the need for additional infrastructure, relying instead on increased awareness and participation.

Another entrepreneur, Roshan Shankar of Saroja Earth, highlighted the continued problem of crop residue burning in North India. He said decentralised utilisation of rice straw for producing fuel pellets, fertiliser pellets, biochar and biodegradable cutlery can help prevent stubble burning and reduce its impact on air quality.

Ish Anand, a Delhi resident who runs a private equity fund operating in Europe, Singapore and India, said startup founders have the ability to build scalable solutions and added that he plans to support some of the ventures discussed at the meeting.

Global multilateral agencies have repeatedly underlined the urgency of tackling air pollution, with public health experts warning that it remains one of the leading environmental causes of premature deaths worldwide. Institutions such as the United Nations and the World Bank have stressed the need for integrated, cost-effective solutions ranging from clean mobility and waste-to-resource models to cleaner fuels and agri-waste management while noting that innovation-led, startup-driven approaches, backed by public-private partnerships, are key to delivering scalable impact in fast-growing cities like Delhi.

The meeting was organised by The Bharat Project. Its founder, Shradha Sharma, said the focus over the next 11 months will be on building capacity so that the city is better prepared to deal with air pollution next year. She added that some of the ideas will be presented to the city administration to seek support for broader adoption.

Delhi has continued to choke this winter, with pollution levels remaining above 300 on most days. On Saturday, air quality deteriorated further, slipping from the “very poor” to the “severe” category, with readings crossing 400 in several areas, a level that affects even otherwise healthy individuals.