Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav underlined India’s commitment to embedding circular economy principles into its sustainable development framework.
The Minister stressed that India has modernized it’s deep rooted ancient cultural practices of reuse, repair, and conservation values into contemporary policies under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Addressing the inaugural session of the 10th edition of World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) 2026, at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar today, the Minister emphasised initiatives such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations and Mission life as crucial steps in its circularity journey.
Highlighting global collaborations like the BRICS New Delhi Declaration, India-EU joint framework, and Mission LiFE, the Minister stated that circularity must begin at home. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurated the forum which is being held for the first time in India.
Addressing the Forum, the Chief Minister stressed that growth, ecology, prosperity, and sustainability must go hand in hand, framing circular economy principles as the core of India’s sustainable trajectory.
Over 2,000 stakeholders from more than 65 countries are taking part in the forum which is being held under the theme ‘Circular Economy: Transition for People and Prosperity,’.
As of August 2026, over 83,000 producers and 4,802 recyclers are registered under EPR, processing nearly 482.24 lakh metric tonnes of waste.
The global event is jointly organised by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Central Pollution Control Board, Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, and the Government of Gujarat.
Over the two days, the forum will host 4 plenary sessions and 16 thematic sessions covering key areas such as the application of AI, green energy, sustainable finance, governance, and the start-up ecosystem.
This will be followed by 80 accelerator sessions hosted globally on September 17th and 18th. Additionally, an international expo featuring over 125 exhibitors will showcase innovative, practical solutions for circular business models.
Speaking at the inaugural session, Ambassador of Finland to India, Mikko Kivikoski, said that circular economy is not just an environmental agenda which is limited to West management. He stressed that emerging economies like India has a pivotal role in strengthening the circular economy framework.