Sachin Tendulkar Joins Recykal as Strategic Investor
- The investment extends the company’s $23 million bridge round closed in June 2026.
- Recykal reported ₹1,498 crore in gross revenue in FY26, up 53% year-on-year.
- Its platform has channelled over 3 million metric tonnes of waste, according to the company.
Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar has joined Hyderabad-based waste management and circular economy startup Recykal as a strategic investor. The association is aimed at strengthening the company’s efforts to promote responsible waste disposal, recycling and resource recovery across India.
The investment extends Recykal’s $23 million bridge funding round, which closed in June 2026. The amount invested by Tendulkar and the valuation at which the investment took place have not been disclosed.
As part of the association, Tendulkar will support Recykal’s efforts to make waste segregation, responsible disposal and recycling everyday habits among consumers. The partnership aims to encourage people to view discarded materials as resources that can be recovered and reused.
Commenting on the association, Tendulkar said Recykal’s use of technology to address waste management challenges and its ambition to drive behavioural change among one billion people resonated with him. He added that he hoped the partnership would encourage more people to make responsible environmental choices.
Recykal’s $23 Million Funding and Business Model
Founded in 2015 by Abhay Deshpande, Recykal operates a technology-driven platform that connects brands, businesses, waste aggregators and recyclers. Its digital infrastructure facilitates the collection, tracking, trading and recovery of recyclable materials.
In June 2026, the company closed a $23 million bridge funding round, comprising $9 million from new investors and $14 million from existing investors.
The new investors included Biological E Limited and the family offices of Mahima Datla, Nageshwar Reddy and PVS Raju of AIG Hospitals. Existing investors included 360 ONE, Trinity Combinator, Strat Ventures and the family office of Ajay Parekh, Vice Chairman of Pidilite Industries.
Recykal is deploying the capital to strengthen its technology platform and Open Marketplace, accelerate Deposit Return System (DRS) deployments, expand behavioural change initiatives and support international growth.
The company reported gross revenue of approximately ₹1,498 crore in FY2025-26, representing 53% year-on-year growth. It also said its platform has channelled more than 3 million metric tonnes of waste and works with over 650 brands and more than 5,000 waste aggregators and recyclers. Its enterprise network includes companies such as Hindustan Unilever, Samsung and BMW.
Deposit Return Systems Drive Expansion
A key part of Recykal’s growth strategy is its Deposit Return System, which encourages consumers to return used packaging in exchange for a refundable deposit. The model creates a financial incentive for consumers to participate in collection and recycling, helping improve packaging recovery.
The company has reported DRS deployments and pilot programmes across Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Bhutan. It is also developing locally designed reverse vending machines to automate the collection of recyclable packaging.
Recykal’s technology portfolio includes digital waste management platforms, a marketplace for recyclable materials, DRS infrastructure and AI-enabled hardware solutions.
