Kabadi Man, India’s leading Clean-Tech startup building a tech-enabled marketplace for the recycling ecosystem, has been awarded the MeitY GENESIS Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) Grant of ₹10 Lakhs and officially incubated at Deshpande Startups under the GENESIS Cohort 2 program.
Out of 400+ applications received from across India, only 6 startups were selected for this prestigious program — and Kabadi Man is proud to be one among them.
The GENESIS (Gen-Next Support for Innovative Startups) initiative, led by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), supports early-stage entrepreneurs developing technology-driven solutions with high potential for social and environmental impact.
The official cohort launch was held at Deshpande Startups Hubballi in the presence of Dr. Desh Deshpande, a globally recognized entrepreneur and philanthropist, alongside founders from across India building next-generation innovations for the nation.
Empowering India’s Informal Recycling Sector
Founded by Siddharth Mutkekar and Chinmay Maddinmath, Kabadi Man is revolutionizing India’s recycling and waste management ecosystem by empowering over 4 million informal scrap dealers, or Kabadiwalas, with access to technology, customers, and new income opportunities.
The platform connects households and businesses directly with nearby verified Kabadiwalas for efficient, on-demand scrap collection. By leveraging data, logistics optimization, and AI, Kabadi Man ensures recyclables are collected responsibly, fairly valued, and sent to authorized recyclers — driving a circular economy and reducing landfill waste.
To date, the company has completed close to 4,000 pickups, onboarded 500+ Kabadiwalas, and served over 2,500 happy users, helping recycle more than 4 lakh kilograms of waste.
Driving Innovation Through Support
Receiving the MeitY GENESIS EIR Grant and incubation at Deshpande Startups marks a significant milestone for Kabadi Man as it continues to scale its impact and expand its AI-driven waste management solutions — including the development of its upcoming AI-Powered Smart Waste Bin, designed to automate waste segregation, predict recyclable value, and enable real-time tracking for smarter recycling systems.
“We’re deeply honored and excited to be part of the MeitY GENESIS EIR program at Deshpande Startups. This grant and incubation will accelerate our mission to organize and empower the informal recycling sector using technology and innovation,” said Siddharth Mutkekar, Founder & CEO of Kabadi Man.
“Deshpande Startups’ mentorship and MeitY’s support provide us with the ideal ecosystem to innovate, validate, and scale sustainable solutions that create both economic and environmental value,” added Chinmay Maddinmath, Co-Founder & COO.
