Ankit Agarwal: "Initiatives like the Leaders Program are not only useful, but essential."

Ankit Agarwal is the Founder and CEO of Phool.co, a social enterprise that has pioneered flowercycling® technologies to reduce pollution in the Ganges River by recycling and utilizing the vast amounts of flower waste from temples in India.

How many flowers are poured from temples into the Ganges River and what problems do they cause? 
Every year, over 8 million metric tons of temple flowers are offered at shrines across India — with a large share ending up in rivers like the Ganges. While culturally symbolic, these offerings are often laden with pesticides, chemical dyes, and synthetic wrappings that turn toxic once submerged.

When dumped into the river, this organic waste doesn’t just biodegrade — it decays in stagnant waters, depletes oxygen levels, disrupts aquatic ecosystems, and creates a breeding ground for harmful pathogens. Over time, this contributes to the spread of waterborne diseases like cholera, hepatitis, and diarrhea — especially in communities that rely on the river for bathing, fishing, and daily use.

Moreover, the volume of this waste clogs ghats, chokes riverbanks, and adds to the already staggering burden of pollution in one of the world’s most sacred and overused water bodies.

Phool.co addresses this at the source — not only by preventing this waste from entering the Ganges, but by transforming it into eco-friendly products and creating livelihoods in the process. It’s a small intervention with outsized ecological, health, and social impact. 

The Ganges has many other pollution problems, but what positive effects can be seen thanks to Phool.co? 
While the Ganges faces multiple sources of pollution — from industrial discharge to untreated sewage — temple flower waste has long been an overlooked contributor. Every day, we divert tons of pesticide-laden floral waste that would otherwise decompose in the river, leaching chemicals and disrupting aquatic ecosystems.

Thanks to Phool.co, there are now cleaner ghats, fewer blockages in river channels, and greater awareness among temple communities about responsible waste disposal. But the impact goes beyond cleanliness — it’s about shifting mindsets. We’ve shown that religious offerings, too, need to be part of the sustainability conversation, and that tradition and environmental care can coexist.

Moreover, our work has triggered systemic responses: several municipalities have begun to include floral waste in their sanitation tenders, and we’ve influenced policy dialogues around river rejuvenation. So while we’re addressing just one stream of pollution, it’s creating ripple effects — inspiring a cultural, civic, and policy-level rethinking of how we treat the Ganges.

In addition to reducing Ganges pollution, how else does Phool.co help the community? 
Beyond reducing Ganges pollution, Phool.co’s core impact lies in transforming lives. We employ women who were once scavengers — some of the most marginalised members of society — and offer them dignified, safe, and meaningful work. 

Instead of entering sewers or dry latrines, they now handcraft incense or work on Fleather®, gaining financial independence and social respect. We also invest in their health, education, and skill-building — creating not just jobs, but pathways to empowerment.

So while our products tackle environmental waste, our real mission is to break the cycle of caste-based exploitation and turn it into a cycle of opportunity and pride. 

Phool.co has been recognized by UNESCO and other institutions, including Unilever and PETA. To what extent can it serve as inspiration for other circular economy initiatives in India? 
Phool.co’s recognition by UNESCO, Unilever, and PETA shows that circular economy models from India can meet global standards — both in sustainability and innovation. Our journey proves that waste isn’t a limitation, but a resource when combined with science, design, and community impact.

The model is replicable: turning waste into high-value products, creating dignified livelihoods, and using brand-led demand to fund innovation. It also offers a blueprint for other Indian entrepreneurs — showing how to build global partnerships, meet regulatory benchmarks, and influence policy at home. 

More than our specific products, it’s the ecosystem we’ve built — where science, craft, and social change intersect — that can inspire a new generation of circular startups across India. 

Aside from India, could your business model be extended to other markets, or is it too local? 
While Phool.co was born out of a very local problem — temple flower waste polluting the Ganges — the underlying model is deeply scalable and globally relevant. 
At its core, our work is about creating circular economies around cultural or agricultural waste, and transforming them into high-value, sustainable products — whether it's incense, biodegradable materials, or our vegan leather, Fleather®. The specifics might differ — in Spain, it might be vineyard or olive waste; in Southeast Asia, it could be floral or food-market waste — but the idea of using waste as a resource while empowering marginalised communities is universal.

We’ve already seen strong interest from international partners, particularly in Europe, where there is both a regulatory push and consumer demand for sustainable, ethical alternatives. So no, the model is not too local — it’s deeply rooted, but designed to grow outward. We just start with flowers — but we’re really building a framework for global regenerative enterprise.

Do you think initiatives like this program from the Spain-India Council Foundation can help develop the innovation sectors in Spain and India? 
Absolutely — initiatives like this programme are not just helpful, they’re essential. 

True innovation doesn’t happen in silos. It thrives when diverse perspectives, experiences, and challenges come together. What the Spain-India Council Foundation has created is a bridge — one that connects two countries with rich histories, dynamic economies, and a shared urgency to solve global problems sustainably.

For a founder like me, this programme has opened doors to new ways of thinking — whether it’s Spain’s commitment to climate-resilient infrastructure, or how its public-private partnerships are enabling digital transformation. At the same time, I’ve seen a genuine interest from Spanish institutions in Indian models of frugal innovation, grassroots entrepreneurship, and inclusive development.

This kind of structured dialogue — backed by exposure to real projects, people, and places — plants the seeds for collaboration that goes beyond just trade or technology. It builds trust. And trust is the foundation of long-term innovation ecosystems. So yes, I believe this initiative is not just timely — it’s visionary.

What did you like most about this visit to Spain? 
What I liked most about this visit to Spain was the depth of intention behind every engagement. It wasn’t just a showcase of innovation — it was a demonstration of how seriously Spain is investing in sustainability, digital transformation, and social impact. Whether it was at ECOALF turning ocean waste into fashion, or ACCIONA’s commitment to regenerative infrastructure, I saw a country that is not just preparing for the future but actively building it.

One of the most exciting opportunities that emerged from this visit is the potential to collaborate with tanneries in Spain to process and finish our material, Fleather®. Spain has a rich legacy in leather craftsmanship — particularly in eco-conscious tanning techniques, vegetable tanning, and artisanal finishing — which aligns beautifully with our vision of sustainable luxury.

Fleather® is a leather alternative made from flower waste, and while we’ve pioneered its development and initial processing in India, we’re now looking to work with high-quality European tanneries to help elevate its finishing, texture, and application potential for global markets. Spanish tanneries bring not just skill, but a deep sensitivity to sustainable materials, and could play a crucial role in helping us meet European REACH standards and scale our material across sectors — from fashion and accessories to automotive and interiors.

We’re already in early conversations with a few partners here in Spain, and I see this as the beginning of a powerful east-west collaboration — where Indian innovation meets Spanish craftsmanship to redefine what the future of leather can look like.

As someone working at the intersection of sustainability and social innovation in India, this visit felt like a mirror — a reaffirmation that our struggles and dreams are shared. I was particularly moved by the openness of the institutions we visited, their willingness to exchange ideas, and their curiosity about Indian models of innovation. This programme has deepened my belief in cross-cultural collaboration — not just as a diplomatic ideal, but as a real, practical engine for progress.

VIII edition activity summary