Namma Bengaluru Challenge ‘26

Bengaluru generates ~5,400 tonnes of solid waste daily (0.56 kg per capita), but its infrastructure can process only ~2,100 tonnes per day.

The wastewater treatment facilities in Bengaluru treat 60% of the city’s sewage, and the remaining 40% is discharged into drains.

Bengaluru reported a 3.06% rise in daily mortality for every 10 microgram per cubic metre rise in PM2.5 levels.

Bengaluru generates ~4,000 tonnes of construction waste daily, including cement, concrete, mud, wood, and tiles.

OVERVIEW

Bengaluru is the fifth most populous urban agglomeration and one of the fastest-growing metropolises in India. The capital, and one of the oldest cities in Karnataka, Bengaluru, accommodates about 39% of the total urban population of the state.

Once celebrated for its green spaces and pleasant climate, the city is now grappling with the complex realities of rapid urbanisation, including rising population density, infrastructure stress, and environmental degradation. As the technology and innovation capital of India, Bengaluru faces the unique challenge and opportunity of reimagining its urban future to balance growth with sustainability, resilience, and equitable access to services.

Bengaluru’s Climate Action and Resilience Plan (BCAP), launched in 2023, gives the city the opportunity to intensify and coordinate efforts towards planning and managing rapid urban growth in a manner that is climate-aware and aligned to the global climate agenda and India’s Nationally Determined Contributions. Achieving these city-level goals requires strong collaboration between stakeholders across the city government, industry, civil society and innovators in the city.

Hence, The Namma Bengaluru Challenge ‘26, by UnboxingBLR, in partnership with Social Alpha and WTFund, supported by the Government of Karnataka (GoK) & Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), aims to identify and support high-potential innovators and entrepreneurs in combating climate change by building resilience and mitigating emissions within Bengaluru.

Focus Areas

Construction

Water & Sanitation

Air Pollution

Waste Management

Winning Cohort

Go Do GoodchanduSeptember 19, 2024February 9, 2026
Go Do Good
Sunbird StrawschanduSeptember 19, 2024February 9, 2026
Sunbird Straws
Carbon Craft DesignchanduOctober 24, 2024February 9, 2026
Carbon Craft Design
SatiQchanduFebruary 9, 2026February 9, 2026
SatiQ
Tellus HabitatchanduFebruary 9, 2026February 9, 2026
Tellus Habitat

Construction

As Bengaluru’s urban footprint expands, the construction of residential and commercial buildings is set to soar, bringing with it a parallel rise in emissions and construction waste. To address this, there is a need for solutions that can optimise resource use, develop alternative materials, safely manage waste in the construction industry, and reduce its environmental impact, which can include but are not limited to:

Material and process-led innovations that are alternatives to conventionally used construction materials such as cement, bricks, and timber and enable reduced water and energy consumption in the construction of buildings.
Technology-enabled and/or process-led innovations that enable the collection, transportation, and segregation of C&D waste.
Material and process innovations that enhance the mechanical properties of C&D waste components to increase their life.

Water & Sanitation

As boundaries of urban Bengaluru continue to grow, water demand will inevitably surge, making equitable distribution a critical priority. However, sustainable water management goes beyond access; it requires a comprehensive approach that addresses availability, quality, and reuse. To do this, there is also a need for solutions to solve various systemic challenges (scarcity, inadequate infrastructure, and O&M), and they include but are not limited to:

Drinking Water

Atmospheric water generators that reduce dependence on groundwater, while enabling access to water suitable for consumption.
Network and pipeline monitoring that reduces inefficiencies in the distribution network and enables operations and maintenance of pipelines.
Operations and maintenance-related innovations for community-based drinking water systems that can ensure water quality.
Filters (design, material used, and process of filtration) that reduce inefficiencies in the existing filtration systems, and target niche contaminants in endemic zones.

Stormwater Management & Municipal Sewage

Storm water management (early warning systems, collection, treatment, reuse of stormwater).
Decentralised systems of sewage treatment at the household or community level, that can be retrofitted to existing plumbing systems and produce water that can be reused for non-potable purposes. 
Mechanisation in the O&M of sewer lines and septic tanks and, facilitating desludging operations.

Urban Water Bodies

Operations & maintenance-related systems to enable hyacinth control and silt remediation and manage water quality (impacted by liquid and solid waste) in water bodies.

Air Pollution

As the air quality in the city continues to worsen, there is a need for solutions to address the impact of air pollution on health, and they include, but are not limited to:

Low-cost, and energy-efficient air purification systems with components that require minimal maintenance and replacement.

Waste Management

Current disposal practices, ranging from uncontrolled dumping and landfill use to open burning, pose significant threats to public health and ecosystems. With expanding urban boundaries in Bengaluru, there is a need for solutions to establish traceability, reduce consumption, enable reuse and recycling, and they include but are not limited to:

Collection, Segregation, Disposal

Collection and upcycling of various waste streams to prevent their disposal in landfills, water bodies, or via open burning.
Advanced or automated sorting technologies that meet accuracy and speed benchmarks for sorting various waste streams.
Inclusion of digital platforms that enable real-time monitoring and optimisation of waste collection routes.

Waste to Value & New Materials

Recycling with improved efficiency, to produce high-quality output in a cost-effective manner.
Advanced recycling (chemical and biological), which can enable the derivation of high-value products from various waste streams.

Program Offerings

Pilot Deployments: Selected start-ups will receive up to INR 25 lakhs as pilot grants to deploy their product with implementation partners within the government, private sector, or civil society organisations in Bengaluru over a period of up to 6 months, based on a mapping exercise anchored by Social Alpha.

Market Access & Validation: Through the initiative, a start-up will have the opportunity to deploy its solution within Bengaluru’s urban systems, gaining validation and building a pathway for wider adoption across similar urban geographies.

Showcase Opportunities: Through the program, the start-up will have the opportunity to pitch to various stakeholders, including Bengaluru’s government agencies, industries, and civil society organisations.