Innovation Mission: Circular Plastics and Biobased Chemicals & Materials to India

Why India?

India faces growing challenges in the areas of plastic waste, material circularity, resource efficiency and sustainable chemical production. On the other hand, the industry is growing rapidly. Addressing these challenges requires new materials, alternative raw materials, innovative chemical processes and scalable circular solutions.

India is rapidly developing into a global innovation centre for circular materials, industrial biotechnology and green chemical pathways. This is driven by ambitious government programmes, leading research institutes and high industrial demand. With robust targets in the areas of circular economy, biobased materials and sustainable production, India offers unique opportunities for joint R&D, pilot projects and validation of new technologies at scale.

Building on previous Dutch-Indian cooperation in biorefining and hydrogen, this mission focuses on the next phase of innovation: sustainable materials, circular plastics and green chemistry solutions that can be scaled up from lab to pilot and demonstration level. For Dutch organisations, India offers not only market opportunities, but also high-quality research partners, testing facilities and public programmes that actively support international collaboration.

What can you expect from the mission?

By joining this mission, you will:

• access concrete pilot and demonstration sites for your technologies;
• engage directly with Indian companies, clusters and government programmes;
• develop concrete leads for joint R&D, pilots and demonstration projects;
• connect with policymakers shaping circular economy and green chemistry frameworks;
• explore pathways for technology validation and long-term collaboration in India.

Who can participate?

The mission targets researchers, R&D managers, business development managers, CTOs and CEOs from companies (including startups and scale‑ups) and research institutions active in innovations for circular plastics, biobased chemicals and materials.

Draft programme

During the mission, we will visit 3 innovation centres in India:

• New Delhi-Gurugram is the centre for policy and research and development, with leading institutes and national ministries.
• Chennai has a strong ecosystem for materials, polymers and process technology.
• Hyderabad is a leading centre for green chemistry, industrial biotechnology and innovation in recycling.

These are the planned programme components:

• A high-level round table at TERI (New Delhi) with leading research institutions, ministries and policymakers.
• A visit to the IOCL R&D centre to gain insight into applied research and demonstration projects for sustainable chemicals and materials.
• Contacts with leading industrial players such as Praj, Reliance Industries and Godavari during the World Circular Economy Forum and the Platform for Accelerating Circular Economy (PACE) at WRI.
• Visits to the IIT Madras Research Park, where lab-to-startup innovation in materials and circular technologies takes centre stage.
• In-depth interactions at CSIR–Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) and IIT Hyderabad, with a focus on green chemistry, catalysis and industrial biotechnology.Meetings with start-ups and scale-ups via T-Hub and BioNEST, showcasing India's emerging circular and green chemei ecosystem.

The programme is structured around thematic tracks covering biobased materials, circular plastics and green chemistry. The programme is still under development. We will tailor the final programme as much as possible to the interests of the participants.

The mission will be headed by the Chair of the Sector Board Chemistry and Materials, Jacqueline Vaessen, accompanied by other representatives of the Sector Board and the Dutch government.

Costs 

The costs for participation in the innovation mission are €350 per person, excluding VAT. This includes:

• participation in the collective programme;
• transfers to and from programme components;
• lunch and dinners specified in the final programme.

Participation does not include:

• travel and accommodation costs (intercontinental and domestic flights and hotels);
• all individual costs, such as lunches and dinners outside the programme.

Register

Would you like to participate in this innovation mission? Please register before 16 June 2026 via the online registration form.

The total number of delegates is about 30, with a maximum of 2 per organization. If significantly more applications are received, a selection may be made based on the relevance of your expertise to the mission. You will receive final confirmation after the registration period has closed.

Want to know more? 

Do you have any questions or need more information? Then please contact Bob Hengeveld via bob.hengeveld@rvo.nl.

For logistical questions, please contact innovatiemissies@rvo.nl. 

Read more about our innovation missions (in Dutch).