An exclusive interview with Co-Founders, WeVOIS Labs

 

An exclusive interview with Co-Founders, WeVOIS Labs

1. What inspired you to start a company in the solid waste management industry? Was there a specific moment or experience?

Ans - The inspiration came during my college days in 2014, when my institution selected me—almost by accident—to lead a 30-day Swachh Bharat Mission campaign. Until then, waste was invisible to me, as it is for most people. But those 30 days changed everything. Organizing cleanliness drives, working alongside volunteers, and seeing the scale of the problem firsthand opened my eyes to a reality I could no longer ignore. After that, I couldn’t “unsee” the waste around me— and I knew this was the problem I wanted to solve.

2. What were you doing before this, and how did that background prepare you for this unique challenge?

Ans - Before starting WeVOIS Labs, I was a student with a dream of becoming an entrepreneur. I didn’t come from a waste management or environmental background, but I always observed how people at the bottom of the pyramid struggled for dignity in their daily work. That empathy became my foundation. Later, when my co-founder Abhinav and I began exploring the waste ecosystem, my analytical mindset and willingness to learn from the ground up helped us translate complex civic challenges into practical, technology-driven solutions.

3. What does & waste mean to you? Has your personal definition of it changed since starting the business?

Ans – Earlier, waste simply meant “garbage” — something to be thrown away and forgotten. But today, I see waste very differently. For me, waste is not just a material problem; it’s a social one. It’s a mirror reflecting how we treat the people who manage it. Waste is a resource waiting to be recovered — and a powerful opportunity to restore dignity to the sanitation workforce.

4. What was the biggest personal sacrifice you made to get this company off the ground?

Ans - The biggest sacrifice was giving up stability and comfort to chase a mission that was uncertain and unglamorous. There were days when my team and I faced complete rejection — even from the very people we wanted to empower. I spent countless nights without sleep, personally accompanying sanitation workers on rounds, trying to understand their challenges. It was mentally and physically exhausting, but every moment reinforced my belief that technology could, and should, serve the underserved.

5. Can you walk us through your core services? (e.g., residential collection, commercial dumpsters, recycling, organic processing, hazardous waste, etc.)

Ans - At WeVOIS Labs, we operate across the entire waste management value chain— from door-to-door collection to processing and recycling. Our core services include:

 Smart Waste Collection & Monitoring: We deploy IoT-enabled systems, RFID tagging, and AI-powered monitoring to ensure 100% coverage and segregation compliance across residential and commercial areas.

 User Charge Collection (UCC): We enable transparent, technology-driven fee collection from households and businesses on behalf of municipalities, reducing leakages and improving accountability.

 Circular Economy Models: We set up and operate Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), Bio-CNG plants, and textile recycling units to process dry waste into recyclable streams and convert wet waste into compost and Bio-CNG — ensuring maximum diversion from landfills.

 Real-Time Dashboard & Analytics Platform: Our integrated dashboard allows city officials and stakeholders to monitor workforce performance, route efficiency, and impact metrics in real time.

 IEC/BCC & Capacity Building Programs: We design continuous awareness campaigns and digital training modules to promote behavioral change and empower sanitation workers with technology, safety, and dignity. In short, we’re not just managing waste — we’re digitizing and dignifying it.

6. What would you say is your company's unique value proposition? What sets you apart from larger, established competitors or municipal services?

Ans - What truly sets WeVOIS Labs apart is our belief that technology alone cannot clean cities — people can, if empowered by technology.

While many players focus on equipment or infrastructure, we focus equally on the human side of the system — the sanitation worker. Our unique value proposition lies in combining cutting-edge IoT, AI, and circular economy solutions with inclusive workforce empowerment.

We train sanitation workers to use our technology in their local language, make their performance visible in real time, and ensure full transparency in attendance, route coverage, and salary.

This blend of tech + trust has helped us achieve over 97% operational efficiency, while making worker dignity a measurable KPI. So, while others build systems for people, we build systems with people — that’s the WeVOIS difference.

7. Who are your primary customers (e.g., municipalities, businesses, residential communities) and how do you tailor your services to meet their different needs?

Ans – Our primary customers include Urban Local Bodies We also collaborate with institutions, private townships, and corporate CSR partners.

To cater to their diverse needs, we customize our solutions:

 For municipalities, we offer turnkey waste management solutions — covering door- to-door collection, transportation, disposal, IEC/BCC, and User Charge Collection on behalf of the ULB, all integrated into a real-time digital dashboard.

 For institutions and townships, we provide smart collection, segregation tracking, and sustainable disposal systems, helping them move toward zero-waste campuses.

 For CSR and development partners, we deliver awareness programs, SaaS-based digital platforms, door-to-door collection, digital literacy and worker safety trainings, and data-driven transparency for measurable social impact.

This flexibility makes our model both scalable and adaptable, whether in a dense urban ward or a large institutional ecosystem like the IITs.

8. How do you price your services? Is it a challenge to balance profitability with being affordable for customers?

Ans - Our pricing model is based on partnership and sustainability rather than pure profit.

 For government projects, we typically operate through IoT-based door-to-door collection contracts under tender-based models, where efficiency, transparency, and citizen satisfaction determine performance and revenue.

 For private institutions and CSR partners, we follow customized project-based pricing, aligned with measurable outcomes such as waste diversion, awareness reach, digital enablement, or sustainability reporting.

Balancing affordability with financial sustainability is indeed a challenge — especially in a sector where user fees are low and operational costs are high.

However, our technology-driven efficiencies in route optimization, workforce management, and automated reporting help keep costs low while maximizing impact.

At WeVOIS, we’ve built a business model where doing good and doing well go hand in hand — because real success lies in creating value for both the city and the people who clean it.

9. What has been the single most difficult challenge you've faced in building this business?

Ans - The toughest challenge wasn’t technical — it was human. When we first introduced our technology platform to sanitation workers, they refused to use it. They felt it was an extra burden rather than a support system. For a startup that had spent a year building and testing the platform, that rejection was devastating.

But instead of fighting resistance, we chose to understand it. We realized that change is never easy, especially when people have worked in the same way for decades. So, we redesigned our approach — trained them patiently, built features based on their feedback, and introduced small incentives. Within a month, every worker adopted the technology — not because they were told to, but because they truly believed it made their lives easier.

That experience taught us that the real success of technology is not in the code you write, but in the trust you build.

10. How do you navigate the complex regulations and permitting involved in waste handling and transportation?

Ans - Navigating the regulatory landscape in waste management is both challenging and essential. We ensure full compliance with Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) norms, along with Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Rules 2016 and Plastic Waste Management Rules 2022. We maintain transparent documentation for every process — from vehicle permits and worker safety audits to data reporting on waste segregation and disposal. Our IoT-based tracking systems generate digital records that help local bodies verify compliance in real time.

We also proactively collaborate with ULBs and pollution control authorities during project initiation to ensure that all operational protocols — transport routes, disposal points, and safety measures — are pre-approved and continuously monitored.

This structured, data-backed approach makes regulatory navigation smoother and builds trust with government stakeholders. 

11. Contamination in recycling streams is a huge industry problem. How does this impact your operations and bottom line, and what are you doing to combat it?

Ans - Yes, contamination is one of the biggest challenges — it reduces recycling efficiency, increases operational costs, and often forces more waste toward landfills.

We address this through a three-tier approach:

 Source Segregation: We run extensive IEC/BCC campaigns to educate citizens about separating wet and dry waste at the source.

 Smart Monitoring: Our AI-powered cameras and RFID-based collection systems track segregation compliance and flag non-segregated units for follow-up.

 Worker Empowerment: We train our sanitation workers to identify and separate mixed waste at the point of collection, reducing downstream contamination. By combining behavioral change with smart technology, we’ve achieved over 90% source segregation in some of our project areas — which not only improves recycling yields but also enhances the income potential of our MRFs and recycling units.

12. What is the biggest public misconception about the waste management industry that you have to constantly battle?

Ans - The biggest misconception is that waste management is a dirty job — not a dignified one. People often look down upon sanitation workers, calling them “kachrewale,” forgetting that they are the ones who keep our cities livable.

We constantly fight this stigma by changing the narrative — through our technology platform, our communication campaigns, and our everyday interactions. Our systems make their work visible, measurable, and respected. When a worker can see their performance in real time, when citizens can acknowledge their contribution — that transforms perception. At WeVOIS, we don’t call them sanitation workers — we call them Swachhata Warriors.

13. How do you handle the logistical challenges, such as route optimization, fleet maintenance, and fluctuating fuel prices?

Ans - Logistics in waste management is extremely dynamic — routes change, vehicles break down, and fuel costs fluctuate constantly.

To manage this complexity, we rely on data and automation:

 Route Optimization: Our platform uses GPS and VTS -based algorithms to optimize routes, reducing travel time and fuel consumption.

 Fleet Management: Each vehicle is equipped with IoT devices that track movement, maintenance cycles, and driver performance in real time.

 EV Transition: We are gradually shifting to electric waste collection vehicles (EVs) to minimize dependence on fuel and reduce carbon emissions.

Through these measures, we’ve reduced operational costs by nearly 15–20%, while maintaining 97% service consistency.

14. Circular Economy is a major buzzword. What does it mean in practice for your

company?

Ans - For WeVOIS Labs, the Circular Economy is not just a concept—it’s our operational philosophy. We ensure waste is not the end of a cycle but the beginning of another. Our systems are designed to recover value from every waste stream—be it converting organic waste into compost and Bio-CNG, recycling dry waste through Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), or linking informal waste workers into formal recycling networks. We close the loop by ensuring maximum diversion from landfills and reintroducing materials back into productive use.

15. Are you utilizing any specific technologies (e.g., route optimization software, RFID tags on bins, AI for sorting) to improve efficiency?

Ans - Yes. Technology is at the core of our model. We deploy an integrated IoT-based Waste Management System that includes:

 RFID tagging of bins and vehicles for transparent tracking and accountability.

 Vehicle Tracking Systems (VTS) for route optimization and live fleet monitoring.

 AI-powered cameras to verify waste segregation and detect anomalies in collection.

 Cloud-based dashboards and mobile apps for real-time reporting, attendance tracking, grievance redressal, and citizen engagement. These tools not only improve efficiency but also create traceable, data-backed performance metrics for municipalities and ULBs.

16. How are you adapting to the growing demand for organic waste (food scraps, yard waste) diversion and composting?

Ans - WeVOIS Labs has developed a decentralized Organic Waste Processing Model that channels segregated wet waste to micro-composting centres, bio-methanation units, and small-scale Bio-CNG plants. Our teams conduct continuous IEC (Information, Education & Communication) drives to ensure source-level segregation. In addition, we partner with local farmers’ groups to promote the use of nutrient-rich compost—creating both an environmental and economic loop.

17. Do you see potential in & waste-to-energy technologies? Is that part of your future roadmap?

Ans - Absolutely. We view waste-to-energy as a key frontier for scalable urban sustainability. Our roadmap includes pilot projects integrating Bio-CNG generation, Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) from non-recyclable plastics, and thermal energy recovery units in collaboration with state pollution boards and private sector innovators. We believe that such hybrid models will be crucial to achieving zero-waste cities.

18. How do you measure your environmental impact? Do you track metrics like landfill diversion rates?

Ans - Yes, WeVOIS Labs maintains a detailed Impact Dashboard for every city we operate in, ensuring complete transparency and data-driven accountability. We track

key performance metrics such as:

 Landfill Diversion Rate: 70–80% across our projects

 Waste Managed: Over 7.5 lakh tons of waste scientifically handled

 Compost Production: More than 6,000 tons of organic waste converted into compost

 CO₂ Emissions Avoided: Through deployment of electric collection vehicles and route optimization

 Sanitation Workers Empowered: Thousands formalized, insured, and upskilled With these metrics, WeVOIS is not just managing waste—it is transforming it into resources, helping cities transition toward zero-waste, low-carbon, and pollution-free futures.

19. Beyond collection, what role do you see your company playing in community education about waste reduction and recycling?

Ans - At WeVOIS Labs, we believe that technology may enable systems—but awareness sustains them. Beyond our operational role, we act as change catalysts within communities. We run Information, Education & Communication (IEC) and Behavior Change Communication (BCC) programs that include door-to-door citizen engagement, school workshops, street plays, and digital campaigns on segregation and recycling.

Our “Dignity in Every Dustbin” initiative brings citizens, students, and sanitation workers together to foster mutual respect and shared responsibility. By making people understand not just how to segregate waste, but why it matters, we are cultivating a culture of conscious waste generation and sustainable urban living.

20. Can you share a story of a particularly successful partnership with a local business or community group to reduce waste?

Ans - One of our most impactful collaborations has been with IIT Roorkee, where WeVOIS Labs implemented a comprehensive smart waste management and zero- waste campus program. Through RFID-enabled collection vehicles, segregation tracking, and awareness drives for students and staff, we successfully diverted a majority of campus waste from landfills and established an on-site composting ecosystem.

The project not only transformed IIT Roorkee’s waste system but also served as a model for institutional waste circularity, inspiring similar initiatives at other academic institutions. This partnership demonstrated how academia and enterprise can together create measurable environmental and social change.

21. What is the most common customer complaint or question you receive, and how do you address it?

Ans - The most common query we encounter from citizens is: “Why should we pay user charges when the city already provides waste collection?”

We address this through data-backed transparency and citizen education. Our digital platform allows residents to see real-time updates—when waste was collected, by whom, and where it was processed. By showing them the difference between unmonitored collection and a technology-driven, accountable service, we help citizens understand the value they receive. Moreover, we conduct periodic community meetings and grievance redressal sessions, ensuring people feel heard and informed—turning scepticisms into sustained participation.

22. How do you build trust with a community that may be skeptical of waste companies?

Ans - Trust is earned through visibility, accountability, and respect.

At WeVOIS, we ensure that every sanitation worker’s attendance, route, and service is digitally recorded and displayed on our real-time dashboard, leaving no room for doubt about service delivery.

We also focus on humanizing the system—by featuring sanitation workers in community events, IEC campaigns, and local awareness drives so citizens recognize and value the people behind the process.

Additionally, we have introduced a citizen mobile application that notifies residents five minutes before the collection vehicle arrives, allowing them to be ready with segregated waste. Through the same app, they can also register grievances or feedback directly, ensuring immediate response and accountability.

Our transparent operations, tech-driven engagement, and commitment to worker dignity have helped shift public perception from seeing us as just a “waste contractor” to recognizing WeVOIS as a trusted civic partner driving behavioral and environmental change.

23. Where do you see the most significant growth or change happening in the waste management industry over the next 5-10 years?

Ans - Over the next decade, we believe the biggest transformation will come from data-driven waste governance and the integration of circular economy principles into everyday operations. Cities will increasingly move away from a “collect and dump” model toward smart segregation, material recovery, and decentralized processing.

With climate change and ESG goals shaping urban policies, the demand for IoT- enabled monitoring, digital traceability, and low-carbon waste solutions will surge. WeVOIS Labs is positioning itself at the forefront of this shift—transforming waste from a liability into a measurable environmental asset.

24. If you could implement one public policy to improve waste management nationwide, what would it be?

Ans - We would advocate for a “Digital Waste Governance Policy” that mandates every Urban Local Body (ULB) to integrate real-time monitoring, data reporting, and digital transparency into its waste management system. Such a policy would not only prevent inefficiencies and leakages but also empower decision-makers with data to design evidence-based interventions. Additionally, embedding incentives for segregation at source and circular waste processing into municipal frameworks would accelerate India’s journey toward sustainable urbanization.

25. What is your ultimate vision for your company? Is it simply to be bigger, or to fundamentally change how we view and handle waste?

Ans - Growth for us isn’t just about scaling operations—it’s about scaling impact. Our ultimate vision is to help build 100 zero-waste cities across India by 2029, powered by technology, transparency, and human dignity. We want to redefine how society views waste—from something to be discarded to something that drives livelihoods, innovation, and circular economies. At WeVOIS, we don’t just want to manage waste; we want to transform it into opportunity—for cities, workers, and the planet alike.

26. What advice would you give to an entrepreneur looking to start a business in the environmental services sector?

Ans- Start with empathy, not equipment. Environmental entrepreneurship isn’t just about solving a problem—it’s about understanding the people, systems, and emotions tied to it. Be patient with policy, persistent with innovation, and passionate about impact. This is a sector where progress is gradual but deeply meaningful. If your solution uplifts people, protects the planet, and sustains itself financially—then you’re not just building a business; you’re building the future.

27. What's one item you wish people would stop throwing in the trash and instead recycle/compost?

Ans – Food Waste - It’s shocking how much edible or compostable food ends up in landfills every day. If even half of that was composted or converted into bio-CNG, cities could reduce emissions and generate clean energy simultaneously.

28. What's the most surprising or valuable thing you've ever seen someone throw away?

Ans - A fully functional desktop computer—discarded simply because it was “old.” It reminded us how urgently we need to build awareness around e-waste recycling and circular reuse instead of mindless disposal.

29. Fill in the blank: A world with zero waste is ________.

Ans - Because zero waste isn’t just about cleaner cities—it’s about inclusive livelihoods, responsible consumption, and shared responsibility.

30. What is the most rewarding part of your job?

Ans - Seeing a sanitation worker smile when their work is valued, tracked, and celebrated through our system. That moment—when technology restores dignity—is the real impact that drives everything we do at WeVOIS Labs.