The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) GreenCo Council has launched the CII GreenCo Circularity Guidelines – Pilot Version, marking a fresh push to embed circular economy practices across India’s manufacturing and process industries.
Unveiled at the 17th edition of the CII GreenCo Waste & Resource Management Summit 2026 in Chennai, the guidelines aim to give industries a structured framework to assess circularity, identify resource-efficiency gaps and track progress towards more sustainable material use.
Held under the theme “Accelerating Circular Economy through Resource Efficiency & Innovation,” the Summit brought together industry leaders, policymakers, technology experts and sustainability practitioners to explore ways to accelerate the transition towards a circular industrial economy.
The pilot framework introduces indices to assess circularity across key resource inputs, including raw materials, consumables and packaging. It is designed to help companies evaluate existing practices, identify opportunities to improve resource productivity and establish measurable benchmarks for progress.
With industries under growing pressure to optimise resource consumption, minimise waste and reduce environmental impact, the guidelines seek to bring greater structure, accountability and consistency to circularity practices. A credible certification pathway could further support benchmarking and drive continuous improvement across industrial operations.
Sharad P Kale, Special Advisor to the Chief Minister, Government of Goa and former scientist at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), said, “Circularity must begin with a fundamental change in how we view and manage resources. While technology and policy have important roles to play, every individual must recognize the need to reduce waste at source and make circularity a way of life. Responsible consumption, resource conservation and waste reduction must become integral to our daily practices, as well as to the way industries operate. A collective commitment to these principles will be essential to building a sustainable future.”
George Menezes, Adviser – Sustainability, Godrej Enterprises Group, underscored the need for a common framework to help industries measure performance and accelerate adoption.
“The CII GreenCo Circularity Guidelines – Pilot Version is an important initiative towards bringing greater structure and direction to circularity practices in Indian industry. Manufacturing and process industries need a common framework that can help them assess their current practices, identify improvement opportunities and measure progress towards circular resource use.
"A well-defined certification mechanism can further encourage accountability, consistency and continuous improvement. I urge industries to participate in the pilot, apply the guidelines within their operations and share feedback to help strengthen the framework for wider industry adoption.”
KS Venkatagiri, Executive Director, CII Green Business Centre, said the initiative builds on CII GreenCo’s efforts to advance environmental sustainability through industry-focused programmes.
“Over the years, CII GreenCo has supported Indian industry in advancing environmental sustainability through several pioneering initiatives. From the GreenCo Rating System to Zero Waste to Landfill and Zero Liquid Discharge certifications, these initiatives have helped companies strengthen their sustainability practices and pursue measurable environmental improvements.
"The launch of the CII GreenCo Circularity Guidelines – Pilot Version builds on this journey by addressing the growing need to embed circularity into industrial operations. We invite manufacturing and process industries to participate in the pilot, engage with the framework and contribute their feedback as we work towards strengthening circularity practices across Indian industry.”
Beyond the guidelines launch, the Summit examined how India could unlock greater economic value from waste and strengthen its circular manufacturing ecosystem.
Discussions on “Waste to Wealth: Building India’s Circular Manufacturing Ecosystem” explored resource recovery, industrial symbiosis, circular product and process design, and collaboration across the value chain as potential drivers of industrial transformation.
Technical sessions examined advanced recycling technologies spanning mechanical, chemical, biological and thermal processes. Participants also explored opportunities in biogas, Bio-CNG/CBG, waste-to-energy, e-waste recycling, and electronics and battery circularity.
Another key focus was the role of digital technologies in improving waste management and resource recovery. Discussions covered the use of artificial intelligence, smart sensors, automation, digitalisation and digital traceability to strengthen waste collection, segregation, recycling and recovery processes.
The guidelines come at a critical juncture for manufacturing and process industries, which consume substantial quantities of raw materials, water and energy while generating diverse waste streams.
The pilot phase is intended to test the framework under real industrial conditions, gather feedback from participating companies and refine the guidelines before wider adoption. Industry participation will be crucial to ensuring that the framework remains practical, measurable and relevant to the varied resource-use patterns and operational requirements of Indian businesses.
CII GreenCo has invited manufacturing and process industries to trial the framework within their operations and share feedback to help strengthen its design and implementation.
The initiative seeks to advance a more systematic approach to circularity—one that enables industries to assess current performance, identify improvement opportunities and work towards more efficient, accountable and sustainable resource use.
