Karo Sambhav, a Gurugram-based circular economy and recycling company, has raised ₹56 crore in a pre-Series A funding round led by Rainmatter by Zerodha. The fresh capital will be used to expand recycling infrastructure focused on recovering critical, precious, and high-value materials from electronic waste and other end-of-life products.
The investment marks a significant milestone for the company, which has operated as a bootstrapped business since its inception in 2017 and has emerged as one of India’s leading players in responsible waste collection and recycling.
Focus on Recovering Critical Raw Materials
The newly raised funds will primarily support the development of advanced recycling facilities capable of extracting valuable materials from discarded electronics and allied waste streams.
Initially, the company will focus on electronic waste (e-waste), one of the fastest-growing waste categories globally and a significant source of valuable raw materials.
E-waste contains several critical minerals and metals essential for modern industries, including:
- Gold
- Silver
- Copper
- Platinum Group Metals
- Lithium
- Cobalt
- Nickel
- Graphite
- Tantalum
- Indium
- Tin
These materials are widely used in electronics, electric vehicles, batteries, renewable energy technologies, defence systems, healthcare equipment, and digital infrastructure.
Building India’s Circular Economy
As global demand for critical minerals continues to rise, recycling is increasingly being viewed as a strategic solution to reduce dependence on imported raw materials and strengthen domestic supply chains.
Karo Sambhav’s expansion aims to support India’s efforts to create a circular economy where valuable materials are recovered, reused, and reintroduced into manufacturing processes rather than being discarded as waste.
The company believes that end-of-life products can serve as a significant source of critical resources required for India’s future industrial growth.
Nine Years of Building Recycling Infrastructure
Founded in 2017, Karo Sambhav has spent nearly a decade developing collection networks, recycling systems, and technology-driven traceability solutions.
Today, the company:
♻️ Operates two recycling facilities
🌍 Maintains collection channels across more than 50 Indian cities
📦 Has channelised over 150,000 metric tonnes of waste for responsible recycling
💻 Utilizes technology platforms to improve transparency and material traceability
The company’s operations span multiple waste streams, including:
- Electronic waste
- Batteries
- Glass
- Other end-of-life materials
Rainmatter Backs Sustainable Resource Recovery
Rainmatter by Zerodha, known for investing in sustainability-focused ventures, sees critical material recovery as an important component of India’s climate and resource resilience strategy.
Viraj Joshi, Vice President at Zerodha and Rainmatter, said the investment reflects confidence in Karo Sambhav’s long-term vision and execution capabilities.
According to Rainmatter, the company has demonstrated strong operational discipline while creating measurable environmental and economic impact in a sector that remains challenging and capital-intensive.
Supporting India’s Critical Mineral Mission
The expansion aligns with India’s growing focus on critical mineral security.
Access to critical raw materials is increasingly seen as essential for supporting sectors such as:
- Electronics manufacturing
- Electric mobility
- Renewable energy
- Defence
- Healthcare
- Advanced manufacturing
- Digital infrastructure
Karo Sambhav’s planned recycling infrastructure has already received Eligibility Status under the Incentive Scheme for Promotion of Critical Mineral Recycling, a key initiative under the National Critical Minerals Mission led by the Ministry of Mines.
The programme aims to strengthen domestic capabilities in recovering and processing strategic minerals that are vital to India’s economic and industrial growth.
Addressing India’s Growing E-Waste Challenge
India is currently the third-largest generator of electronic waste in the world, producing an estimated 4.1 million metric tonnes of e-waste annually, according to company estimates.
At the global level, annual e-waste generation is projected to reach 82 million tonnes by 2030, highlighting the urgent need for scalable recycling solutions.
While e-waste presents significant environmental challenges, it also represents a major opportunity for urban mining and resource recovery.
By extracting valuable materials from discarded products, recycling companies can reduce waste, lower environmental impact, and create alternative sources of critical minerals.
Driving Sustainable Manufacturing
According to Karo Sambhav Founder and CEO Pranshu Singhal, the company has spent the last nine years building systems to responsibly collect, recycle, and trace material flows across India’s waste ecosystem.
The new investment will help accelerate the development of high-quality recycling infrastructure capable of supporting India’s manufacturing ambitions while reducing dependence on imported raw materials.
As India advances its clean energy, electric mobility, and advanced manufacturing goals, companies focused on critical mineral recovery and circular economy solutions are expected to play an increasingly important role in building resilient and sustainable supply chains.
