Ankit Jain, Assistant Adviser, CPHEEO, MoHUA, present at the launch of Badlaav Ka Blueprint under Project Purna
Project Purna expands its waste management efforts to Tamil Nadu and Assam, with pilots focused on developing a Model Ward and Swachh Gaon
New Delhi, 15th October 2026: PepsiCo India and Participatory Learning & Action Network (PLAN Foundation) today hosted Badlaav Ka Blueprint: Unnati Ki Sajhedari, a convergence event on inclusive, circular and scalable solid waste management in urban and rural areas, at the India International Centre, New Delhi. Organised under Project Purna, the event was inaugurated by Mr. Ankit Jain, Assistant Adviser, Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation (CPHEEO), Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. It brought together government officials, Urban and Rural Local Bodies, development experts, non-profit organisations, waste workers, Self-Help Groups and community representatives to share practical learnings on strengthening waste management systems that can be adapted across communities.
Badlaav Ka Blueprint, developed under Project Purna, was officially launched in the presence of Mr. Ankit Jain at the event. The guidebook illustrates urban and rural waste management models, along with the processes and partnerships behind them, as a resource that Urban and Rural Local Bodies can adapt to their local needs.
Yashika Singh, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer and Sustainability Head, PepsiCo India and South Asia said, “At PepsiCo India, our Partnership of Progress philosophy is rooted in the belief that lasting progress is built through collaboration. Through Project Purna, we have seen how bringing together local bodies, communities, waste workers and partners can create practical, inclusive and scalable solutions for waste management. As we expand our efforts, with a Model Ward in Tamil Nadu’s Kotagiri and a Swachh Gaon model across three villages in Assam, we look forward to taking these learnings to more communities and broadening the impact of change.”
Mr. Ankit Jain, Assistant Adviser, Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation (CPHEEO), Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs said, “Swachh Bharat Mission continues to be an important priority in strengthening sanitation and waste management systems across the country. Initiatives such as Project Purna contribute to this larger effort by strengthening waste collection and management at the community level, while recognising the important role of waste workers and Self-Help Groups on the ground. It is especially encouraging to see the waste workers who are driving these efforts being part of this event today. I appreciate PepsiCo India and PLAN Foundation for bringing this initiative to communities and supporting efforts to strengthen the overall waste management ecosystem.”
The event highlighted how close collaboration with government institutions can support the goals of the Swachh Bharat Mission. Project Purna works with central and state government bodies, Urban Local Bodies and Gram Panchayats in urban areas of Mathura, Uttar Pradesh and Kotagiri, Tamil Nadu. In rural areas, it covers 13 villages in Mathura, 5 in Sangrur, Punjab, 3 in Pune, Maharashtra and 3 in Nalbari, Assam. The initiative focuses on strengthening existing local systems for source segregation, door-to-door collection, decentralised processing and recycling, enabling their sustainability and replication by local bodies.
Purna has diverted more than 8,000 MT of waste from landfills and engaged 2.8 lakh citizens and millions of tourists. More than 3,000 waste workers have been supported through an inclusive model, and government welfare schemes worth Rs. 5 crore have been unlocked for them. In addition, 18 Self-Help Groups have been formed with 175 women waste workers, who now make and sell more than 10 products.
Officials from the Department of Water Supply and Sanitation, Sangrur, Punjab and the District Panchayat Raj Office, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, joined panel discussions on rural waste management. They were joined by representatives from HCL Foundation, Sehgal Foundation and Varun Beverages. A separate urban waste management panel featured PepsiCo India, AEPW, GIZ, Econscious and Recity, while Prof. Vivek Kumar of IIT Delhi led a knowledge-sharing session. Waste workers, an SHG member and Harpal Singh, Sarpanch of Kapial, Punjab, also shared their experiences, with contributors recognised for their work.