NEW DELHI, May 9, 2025 -- Zomato, India's food ordering and delivery platform, in collaboration with Startup India, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Government of India, concluded the second edition of the Zomato Plastic-Free Future Packathon, held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The event brought together key stakeholders such as Shri Sanjiv, Joint Secretary, Startup India, DPIIT, 35+ startups, ~50 restaurant partners and investors to discover and celebrate sustainable packaging solutions by startups, for the delivery and dine-in industry.
The Packathon event recognized winners from the top 10 ready-to-scale and prototype-stage startups that presented their innovations aimed at reducing plastic waste. The winners were chosen from a pool of 128 applicants spanning 21 states, of which 47 startups were either fully or partially led by women entrepreneurs. Beyond the competition, the day offered a platform for 40+ startups to showcase their solutions, highlighting the diverse talent within the sector. The event also featured discussions and investor insights relevant to the advancement of sustainable packaging.
Additionally, the event included the Zomato Plastic-Free Future Packaging Awards, recognizing players in the restaurant industry. These awards acknowledged the efforts of 24 National and Regional restaurant brands that have adopted more sustainable packaging alternatives while maintaining customer experience.
Speaking at the event, Anjalli Ravi Kumar, Chief Sustainability Officer, Eternal, said, "At Zomato, we are committed to building a sustainable food ordering and delivery ecosystem, including identifying and promoting innovators working on sustainable alternatives to plastic packaging for food delivery. Since restaurants choose and procure their own packaging, the Zomato Plastic-Free Future Packathon has become a unique platform connecting innovators, restaurants and investors."
Shri Sanjiv, Joint Secretary, Startup India, DPIIT, the Guest of Honour at the event, said, "As a result of concerted efforts under the Startup India initiative, we now have DPIIT-recognized startups across 55 diverse industries. We are actively working to support startups in sunrise sectors such as climate, sustainability, green technologies and allied sectors.
"Alternatives to plastic packaging present a significant opportunity, and it's encouraging to see startups stepping up with innovative solutions. Initiatives as Zomato's Packathon highlight this progress, enabling startups to showcase sustainable packaging innovations directly to industry stakeholders, including restaurants and investors.
"We support efforts that help startups build for industry needs and strongly encourage corporates to collaborate and procure from startups to address opportunities and challenges with innovative solutions."
Anirudh Balakrishnan, IMAGA Trade and Craft Private Limited, winner of the ready-to-scale category, said, "We are thrilled to have won Zomato's Plastic-Free Packathon 2025 award. The award and Sustainable Packaging Expo provided a key platform to showcase our innovations to potential restaurant clients, investors and government representatives at the event, further motivating our commitment to innovate as per the unique requirements of the restaurant industry in India."
Avinash Rao, Agrileaf Exports Private Limited, winner of the prototype category, said, "As a young startup that is just getting started in our journey, winning the Zomato Plastic-Free Future Packathon has given us immense confidence. The platform has provided invaluable guidance on industry needs, critical to product development. The event also facilitated learning from other startups focused on developing plastic-free and food delivery-suitable packaging solutions."
Ankit Verma, Nomad Pizza, winner of the packaging award for the Pizza category, also said, "Events like the Zomato Plastic-Free Future Packathon help raise awareness and move the industry forward in terms of sustainable practices. It's been good to connect with innovators and of course, be recognized for our sustainable packaging choices. Bringing amazing food to our customers is just as important as making conscious choices with our packaging that ensures a better future for all of us!"
The Zomato Plastic-Free Future Program has recognized over 200 restaurant brands, with 7,500+ restaurants making active efforts to use less plastic packaging. These restaurants are in over 400+ cities and enjoy a special tag of 'low plastic packaging' on the Zomato app. To further reduce the environmental impact of restaurant packaging, Zomato also runs a voluntary plastic waste recycling initiative of 100% plastic-neutral deliveries. Under this initiative, the company recycles plastic waste equal to the amount restaurants use to pack their orders. Since FY23, Zomato has recycled 45,000 MT of plastic waste.
About Zomato:
Launched in 2010, Zomato's mission is better food for more people. Zomato is a restaurant search & discovery and food ordering and delivery platform.
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