menu_open Columnists
We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

How a Dinner Table Idea Became a Multi-Crore Startup Turning Corporate Waste Into Profit

12 28
07.08.2025

It was just another day at work for Anuj Bhatnagar. He was called for a meeting that would reshape his understanding of waste management.

The topic on the table was simple: DTH boxes and Wi-Fi routers, ubiquitous in households, were reaching their end of life.

The task seemed straightforward — dispose of them responsibly. But as he would soon discover, this task was layered with complexities.

Anuj had expected a legion of service providers ready to handle his company’s scrap disposal needs. Instead, there were merely a handful of vendors, each less reliable than the last.

“Prices were unpredictable and depended not on how good the service was, but on the unpredictable decisions of a few people who controlled the market. The processes involved were unclear and filled with inefficiencies that frustrated me,” he says.

The crux of the problem lay not just in the scarcity of vendors but in the disorderly nature of the industry itself. Talks with vendors left Anuj with more questions than answers.

The startup covers 12 cities and even provides services to residential societies, managing waste for around 4,000 households.

“The way things were done wasn’t clear – it was hard to see what happened between when something was handed over and when it was finally recycled. There was no organised system, just a mix of random decisions and hurried last-minute actions,” he adds.

“I would spend my weekends interviewing shopkeepers and recyclers, dissecting the role of local kabadiwallas, and extracting insights from market dynamics,” he says.

Anuj noticed overwhelming issues: limited vendor competition, archaic processes, and a lack of transparency in operations. The problem was evident — a scrap disposal system needed reform.

Often, Anuj would discuss the issue with his colleagues and friends, Udaibhan Singh and Amit Gautam. Once, over dinner at a cosy restaurant, Amit proposed that they should seize this opportunity and start a business together, incorporating technology to bring meaningful change.

In that moment, ‘Let’s Scrap’ was born — with a bold vision to create a roadmap for responsible waste disposal.

Turning trash to treasure in corporates

As a part of his solution, Anuj worked on a systematic plan to dispose of scrap that bridged the gap between corporate structure and environmental........

© The Better India