Deshpande Start-Ups, adelphi and IKEA Foundation Host Workshop on Circular Economy

Deshpande Start-ups, an Indian business incubator, has partnered with German company adelphi to host a 3-day Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop on ‘Circular Economy Business Model Acceleration.’ This Indo-German collaborative workshop is funded by IKEA Foundation and was held at Deshpande Start-ups, Hubli, India, from 25 to 27 April 2023.

Sustainability has become a key need for modern businesses, making developing advanced technology for best practices essential. In this light, the ToT program aims to enable business development service providers from various start-up incubation and acceleration centers with Circular Economy Business toolkits and terminologies. Eventually, the knowledge gained will help strengthen their service portfolios to boost their business models.

The chief executive officers (CEOs) of several organisations including Dr. M.S. Shivakiran, CEO, ATAL Incubation Centre, Krishnadevaraya University; Dr. Vinayak. S. Hosamani, COO (chief operating officer), KRISHIK - Agri-Business Incubator; Nayaz Ahmed, CEO, Jain University Incubation Centre; Prahlad Tewari, vice president, Ekonnect Knowledge Foundation; Shweta Uttam, CEO, AIC IISER Pune SEED Foundation; Vishnu Varadan V, CEO, Atal Incubation Centre - Pondicherry Engineering College Foundation attended the workshop.

“The circular economy model assumes a lot of importance in the current scenario. This is where conservation and reducing wastage can help eliminate the need to extract new resources from the earth. Through this workshop, we aim to train people to design products and services that are durable, repairable, and recyclable. Apart from accruing environmental benefits, the circular economy business model will also benefit societies by creating new jobs, promoting innovation, and reducing the need for expensive raw materials. We are confident that such initiatives would help our planet breathe cleaner and combat climate change better,” said Dr. Aravind Chinchure, CEO of Deshpande Start-Ups.

“We are pleased to collaborate with Deshpande Start-ups and the IKEA Foundation for this workshop. It is great to see the growing interest in circular business models, which can contribute to a more sustainable future. Through this workshop, we are able to enable knowledge sharing with participants from across India, and we are looking forward to seeing the impact they will make in their communities," added Amar Munnolimath, senior manager at adelphi. 

The workshop received about 50 applications out of which 30 were shortlisted, mostly from business incubation and acceleration centers across tier-II and tier-III cities in India. The selected participants are being trained on the benefits and operational aspects of the regenerative economy by renowned German experts from Adelphi.

Circular business models will become a significant part of the global green economy in the years ahead. Through better waste management and disposal and lengthening the lifespan of products and materials through repurposing, recycling, or reusing, it is possible to reduce the environmental burden and ensure cleaner air and water for marginalized communities without slowing down economic growth.