be a circular economy
catalyst.

International Finance Corporation, a part of the World Bank group, and Karo Sambhav collaborated on a multi-year partnership between 2017-2019 on the India E-Waste Programme.

The goal of the partnership was to establish a long-term solution to the e-waste challenges in India faced by the electronics sector as well as consumers.

The project was able to establish a PRO-based industry solution for electronics producers, develop locally relevant systems for responsible e-waste management and raise awareness through creative campaigns like “E-Waste Hum Le Jayenge”.

collection
infrastructure

ecosystem
development

capacity building

awareness Programmes

The German Agency for International Cooperation GmbH (GIZ) and Karo Sambhav have partnered on a multi-year project titled ‘Developing Collection Infrastructure & Recycling Platform for Plastic Waste & E-Waste in Non-Urban India’. The project is a Public Private Partnership project under the DeveloPPP.de initiative of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The project aims to:

• Set up a research-oriented dismantling unit to develop assessment matrices and audit guides for dismantling/ recycling; initiate research on developing circular solutions for under utilized waste fractions
• Develop and implement systems for plastic waste and e-waste by being inclusive, transparent & financially sustainable
• Create collection networks for plastic and e-waste in semi-urban areas

collection
infrastructure

recycling

industry
framework

awareness Programmes

secondary
materials

The International Association of Electronic Waste Producer Responsibility Organisations (WEEE Forum) is the world's largest multi-national centre of competence as regards operational know-how concerning the management of waste electrical and electronic equipment (or ‘WEEE’, for short).

Karo Sambhav is the first and only organisation from Asia to join the WEEE Forum and leads the coordination of its activities in India. The partnership is an effort by Karo Sambhav to bring global best practices and standards to the Indian e-waste management sector.

The International E-Waste Day was launched by the WEEE Forum and is implemented every year in India in partnership with Karo Sambhav and local organizations to draw attention to the massive environmental and social challenges posed by e-waste.

industry
framework

awareness Programmes

EPR design

Together with the International Labour Organisation, Karo Sambhav helped design training programmes and manuals aimed at health and safety of workers in the informal sector in e-waste management.

With the ILO, we are implementing training sessions for the informal sector on safe working practices that prevent harm to human health and the environment.

Download the manual (English)

industry
framework

capacity
building

Recupel (Belgium) partnered with Karo Sambhav (India) to exchange best practices and tackle together the #ewaste challenge in their respective countries.

EPR design

EPR compliance Management

industry
framework

Karo Sambhav is a member of the Prevent Waste Alliance. The Alliance serves as a platform for exchange and international cooperation. Organisations from the private sector, academia, civil society and public institutions jointly engage for a circular economy. It works together for waste prevention, collection, and recycling as well as the increased uptake of secondary resources in low- and middle-income countries. The Alliance focuses on waste from plastic packaging and single use products as well as waste electrical and electronic equipment.

industry
framework

capacity
building

recycling

secondary
materials

Together, Karo Sambhav and Parley will collaborate on projects to protect the oceans by intercepting and collecting marine plastic debris from coastal communities in India. By localizing and optimizing Parley’s existing infrastructure toolkit, Karo Sambhav and Parley will join forces to maximize impact by upcycling the material into Ocean Plastic. Through the partnership pilot and rollout, Karo Sambhav and Parley will work to implement the Parley AIR Strategy and create educational and social programs to engage local workers and the community as a whole.

In 2024, Pranshu was appointed as the Vice-Chair of National Working Group-5 of India, International Telecommunication Union - Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) Study Group 5.

In this capacity, Pranshu participated in the National Working Group-5 meetings during the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA) 2024, held in New Delhi from 15–24 October.
 
He contributed his expertise and insights to discussions on themes under ITU-T SG5, including electromagnetic fields (EMF), environment, climate action, sustainable digitalization, and the circular economy.

In 2024–25, Karo Sambhav participated in several key World Economic Forum (WEF) platforms, including the Special Meeting in Riyadh, the Schwab Foundation’s Collective Action Convening in Geneva, the Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils in Dubai, and the 2025 Annual Meeting in Davos.
 
Across these forums, the organization contributed to global dialogues on inclusive growth, circular economy, and resilient supply chains, while engaging with global leaders and social innovators to explore collective solutions for equitable and sustainable development.

Our engagement with the World Economic Forum began in 2022, when we were conferred the ‘Social Entrepreneur of the Year (SEOY) - India’ award by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, a sister organization of WEF.

Identifying Enablers for Effective Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Systems in Asia-Pacific Regions – A SWITCH-Asia Project

Under the SWITCH-Asia Programme, Pranshu is part of a Technical Advisory Project focused on identifying enablers for effective Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) systems in the Asia-Pacific region — specifically in Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Pakistan, and Kazakhstan.

The goal of the project is to determine the success factors, identify gaps, and provide recommendations to enable effective EPR systems and material circularity, in consultation with key stakeholders. We have actively participated in both online and offline consultation meetings, sharing our expertise and knowledge in the area of EPR.

Our founder, Pranshu, has been appointed as an expert for the SWITCH-Asia Policy Support Component to author papers in the EPR and Circular Economy Paper Series. So far, we’ve authored five papers in the series in addition to contributing to the paper “Importance of Design in Making EPR Work for a Circular Economy” authored by Thomas Lindhqvist.