Podcast Summary: The Entrepreneurs – Pullman Voices: Shalini Goyal Bhalla

Host: Tom Edwards (Monocle Radio)
Guest: Shalini Goyal Bhalla, Managing Director, International Council for Circular Economy
Correspondent: Lindy Prickett
Date: July 10, 2025

Main Theme

This episode spotlights Shalini Goyal Bhalla, India's foremost advocate for the circular economy. The discussion delves into what a circular economy truly means (beyond common misconceptions), India's approach to implementing it, the role of innovation, policy, business, and how these efforts relate to both the local market and the wider Global South. The conversation is rich in real-world examples, policy impacts, and actionable insights, making the circular economy relevant for listeners from all sectors.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Defining the Circular Economy

• Misconceptions about Recycling:
  Shalini dispels a key myth: the circular economy is not just recycling—it starts with design and encompasses the whole lifecycle of products.

  “The myth is recycling is circular economy. That's not. Recycling is a very small and one of the least expected outcomes.”
  — Shalini Goyal Bhalla [02:38]

• Design as the Foundation:
  The process begins at the design phase, aiming to minimize waste and enable easy disassembly and reuse.

  • Phone Example: Designing modular phones so individual parts (like batteries/screens) may be replaced, extending product life and resource use.
  • Construction Example: Building infrastructure modularly for easy deconstruction and reuse of materials (steel, cement, etc.)

• Circularity, Not Just Recycling:
  The goal is a production and consumption model where materials stay in circulation and never become waste.

2. India’s Context: Challenges and Unique Opportunities

• Growth and Timing:
  70% of India’s future infrastructure is yet to be built. This presents a chance to embed circularity from the start, unlike developed countries where retrofitting is harder.

  “Why don't we also look at this being more sustainable? And that's where exactly the Indian policies look at.”
  — Shalini Goyal Bhalla [05:45]

• Energy Transition:
  India’s rapid expansion of renewables (almost 200 gigawatts of solar) shows how growth and sustainability can align.

3. Shalini’s Journey and India’s Circular Economy Movement

• Inspiration and Action:
  Shalini’s "lightbulb moment" arose from her work with the Women for India Foundation and the realization that circularity aligns with a "cleaner and greener" vision.

  “These two things [resource use and landfill reduction] relate to making any country…cleaner and greener.”
  — Shalini Goyal Bhalla [07:16]

• Bridging the Knowledge Gap:
  She authored a landmark book bringing circular economy concepts to Indian readers across six key sectors, laying groundwork for broader adoption.

4. Policy and Industry Engagement

• Initial Resistance & Evolving Consensus:
  Early confusion existed, with policymakers equating "resource efficiency" with circularity. This shifted after India’s 2019 National Resource Efficiency draft policy and a landmark 2021 government circular economy mission.

• Advantages for Business:

  • Export Competitiveness: Global policy changes (CBAM, Eco-design policy from Europe) influence Indian supply chains, forcing adaptation to stay competitive.
  • Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): Mandatory policies now require manufacturers to collect and manage post-consumer waste (e.g., plastics).

  “Industry that will switch on to these regulations faster will be able to look at a broader business than the one who are not.”
  — Shalini Goyal Bhalla [10:16]

5. Opportunities for Innovation & Startups

• Waste Management & Materials:

  • Huge market for recovering and reusing materials (especially plastics) due to stricter regulations.
  • Innovations in alternative materials (textiles from banana, coconut, pine leaves; tableware from areca palm; bamboo).

  “Someone who is the first mover will take the advantage. And we are seeing lot of models that are coming up, lot of innovation that's coming up.”
  — Shalini Goyal Bhalla [12:58]

• Digitalization as an Enabler:
  Startups offer waste tracking, analytics, and data-driven efficiency tools, supporting both business and policymaker goals.

6. Extending Circularity: Travel & Tourism

• Localized Models:
  Emphasis on “vocal for local” - promoting regional foods, crafts, and supply chains for sustainable tourism growth.

  • Reducing food/energy miles for hotels and events.
  • Encouragement for tourists to walk or bike and reduce single-use plastics (e.g., carrying reusable bottles).

• Policy and Infrastructure:
  Case study from Meghalaya: developing tourism based on foot/bicycle travel rather than cars, prioritizing sustainability.

  “Why are we not carrying our own bottle rather than purchasing a plastic bottle every single day and throwing it up?”
  — Shalini Goyal Bhalla [15:23]

7. The Global South & International Collaboration

• Leadership and Solidarity:
  India seeks to lead and share its circular innovation and policy models with the Global South following the G20 presidency.

  “We want to share our experiences…the innovation that's happening and make other people also take the similar route if they find it suitable for their countries.”
  — Shalini Goyal Bhalla [16:59]

• Bridging North and South:
  Knowledge exchange is crucial – the Global South adopts and adapts, while also contributing innovations back.

  • The majority of the world’s population lives in the Global South, making this transition critical for climate outcomes.

8. Why Circular Economy is Imperative

• Climate Stakes:
  The circular economy is a needed lever in reducing carbon footprint, combating global warming, and staving off extreme weather disruptions.

  “We are actually realizing… floods, the frequent floods, the forest fires, the weather patterns have changed completely.”
  — Shalini Goyal Bhalla [19:45]

• Future Outlook:
  If global practices do not shift, climate impacts will accelerate—circularity is both a mitigation and adaptation pathway.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Misconceptions:
  “Recycling is a very small and one of the least expected outcomes of circular economy.”
  — Shalini Goyal Bhalla [02:38]

• On Design:
  “There needs to be a whole perspective looking at how do we design for the modern world, how do we design so that we consume less of resources.”
  — Shalini Goyal Bhalla [03:13]

• On Early Hesitations:
  “Even some policymakers said we are working on resource efficiency. Why are you talking about circular economy?”
  — Shalini Goyal Bhalla [09:00]

• On First-mover Advantage:
  “Someone who is the first mover will take the advantage. And we are seeing lot of models that are coming up, lot of innovation that's coming up.”
  — Shalini Goyal Bhalla [12:58]

• On Tourism:
  “Why not make this tourism more sustainable? And that's all the ideas that flows in when you start to look at making it more greener…”
  — Shalini Goyal Bhalla [15:33]

• On Urgency:
  “If we don't become more sustainable, that's what's going to happen.”
  — Shalini Goyal Bhalla [19:45]

Key Timestamps

• 00:06–02:14 – Framing the episode and introducing Shalini
• 02:38–05:39 – Deep dive: what is the circular economy (beyond recycling)
• 05:45–06:53 – India’s developmental context and opportunity
• 07:16–08:55 – Shalini’s background and early circular economy advocacy
• 09:00–10:06 – Policy evolution & pushback
• 10:16–12:57 – Business payoffs, policy, and innovation
• 13:57–14:09 – Application to travel and tourism
• 16:59–19:07 – Collaboration in the Global South
• 19:07–19:45 – Urgency and stakes of circularity for climate

Conclusion

This episode frames India’s circular economy journey as both a necessity and a unique opportunity, highlighting proactive leadership, innovation, and global knowledge exchange. Shalini Goyal Bhalla’s experience and examples make the case for moving beyond recycling toward systems-focused, design-led sustainability—both domestically and across the Global South.