India / Global — 2025: India's circular economy movement has no shortage of ambition but it has long needed a credible way to separate genuine leaders from good intentions. That gap is exactly what the ET Edge Champions of Circular Revolution Conclave 2025 set out to address, with Coherent Market Insights (CMI) stepping in as Research Partner to design the evaluation behind it.
The conclave, part of the broader ET Edge GSA Transformation Series, brought together business executives, policymakers, innovators, and investors for a wide-ranging conversation on the partnerships, strategies, and technologies reshaping how India approaches circularity. The platform also unveiled the ET Edge Champions of Circular Revolution Conclave 2025 Coffee Table Book, spotlighting companies making a measurable difference.
As more companies lean into waste reduction, sustainable materials, and long-term value creation, platforms like this are increasingly the bridge between research insight and practical, scalable solutions on the ground.
Building the List, the Hard Way
Rather than relying on self-nomination or subjective judging, CMI approached the recognition as a research problem first. Mohit Shrivastava, AVP – Research & Consulting at CMI, presented the underlying framework at the conclave: a multi-stage screening process, sector-wide mapping, and independent validation, all built to keep the outcome transparent and neutral.
The scale of the exercise was substantial. CMI's team began by mapping more than 1,000 companies across circular economy value chains — plastics and packaging, renewable energy, sustainable construction, textiles, food systems, waste management, industrial manufacturing, and material recovery — pulling from industry databases, statutory filings, sustainability reports, expert consultations, and direct outreach.
That pool was then narrowed to around 200 firms that met eligibility and governance criteria: proven operational tenure, sector relevance, a clean compliance record, structured sustainability frameworks, and demonstrated (not just claimed) circular initiatives.
Scoring Circularity Fairly, Across Very Different Industries
Comparing a renewable energy company to a textile manufacturer isn't straightforward which is why CMI built a weighted scoring model rather than a one-size-fits-all checklist. Execution impact was weighted most heavily at 30%, with strategic circular vision and innovation/business model transformation each carrying 20%. ESG governance standards made up 15% of the score, ecosystem influence 10%, and inclusive impact 5%. Sector-wise normalization and size calibration were applied throughout, so a mid-sized manufacturer wasn't judged on the same absolute terms as a large industrial player.
Before any company made in the final list, shortlisted names went through independent jury evaluation and additional data validation — checking impact claims, governance disclosures, and compliance records against the record.
The process ultimately identified 40 organizations as India's Champions of Circular Revolution — companies setting the pace on scalable circular transformation and sustainable value generation.
A Benchmark the Ecosystem Can Build On
For CMI, the value of the exercise goes beyond a single list. A rigorous, evidence-led framework reinforces governance accountability across the sector, gives companies a clearer sense of what "circular leadership" actually looks like in measurable terms, and offers investors and policymakers a benchmark they can rely on. It's a natural extension of CMI's broader work supporting data-driven decision-making and sustainability transformation across industries.
About ET Edge Champions of Circular Revolution Conclave 2025
Now in its first edition, the Champions of Circular Revolution Conclave is a national platform recognizing corporates, startups, and innovators leading India's circular transition, celebrating measurable sustainability outcomes through scalable programs, governance excellence, and innovation.
About Coherent Market Insights
Coherent Market Insights (CMI) is a global market intelligence and consulting firm delivering data-driven insights across industries. Headquartered in India, with a presence in the U.S. and strategic partnerships across the U.K. and Japan, CMI supports clients in over 32 countries through 300 full-time consultants and a global network of domain experts across 24 countries.
https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com