Recykal backs Walbha Industries with ₹10 crore to scale biomass fuel

What's the deal? Indian sustainability startup Recykal has invested ₹10 crore (≈$1 million) in Walbha IndustriesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a manufacturer of biomass briquettes and pellets, in an early-stage round. The deal marks Recykal's entry into the biomass value chain.

What's the endgame? The investment aims to help industries switch from fossil fuels to biomass-based clean energy. Walbha will use it to expand beyond North and Central India into southern markets.

What does Walbha do? Founded to convert agricultural residue such as groundnut shells, mustard husk, and sawdust into fuel, it runs a production facility in Jhansi with a capacity of 250,000kg per day. It serves 57 industrial clients and sources residue through a network of more than 21,100 farmers.

Why now? Recykal, founded in 2015 in Hyderabad, operates digital platforms for waste management and circular commerce. Through the deal, its enterprise network of more than 620 brands and manufacturers gains access to verified biomass briquettes and pellets as an alternative to coal for industrial boilers.

Walbha will also tap Recykal's technology platform to digitise and formalise its supply chain.

The signal: The tie-up links industrial decarbonisation with farm economics. As Recykal chief executive officer Abhay DeshpandeDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → put it, Walbha makes the clean fuel choice "easier, transparent and economically better for Indian industry, while giving farmers a profitable alternative to stubble burning."

Read more: The Economic Times

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