Author : Aashiya Jain | EQmint Originals | EQ Exclusive News
In this compelling interview, Sandip Singh, CEO of Ishitva Robotic Systems, shares how his company is transforming India’s recycling ecosystem using Artificial Intelligence and robotics. By automating waste segregation the biggest bottleneck in recycling Ishitva is helping businesses achieve global-grade purity standards, dramatically improve efficiency, and unlock new economic opportunities in the circular economy.
Waste management in India has long struggled with one core challenge: segregation. No matter how advanced recycling machinery becomes if waste isn’t sorted properly at the beginning quality suffers at the end. Sandip Singh believes this is exactly where the real problem lies, and where the biggest opportunity exists.
What is Ishitva Robotic?
Ishitva Robotic Systems focuses on what Singh calls “resource recovery.” Instead of seeing waste as a burden the company views it as a valuable raw material waiting to be unlocked. “It’s a group of ‘mad engineers’, what industry calls us, coming from the dumpyard” Singh says with a smile. “We were cynical about solving the problem of waste for our country.” That skepticism turned into determination. At the heart of Ishitva’s innovation is AI-powered sorting.
Their systems use high-speed machine learning algorithms trained on billions of images. These machines don’t just separate plastic from metal or glass from paper, they go deeper. They can identify materials based on polymer type color and even grade. For instance the system can distinguish between food-grade and cosmetic-grade plastics something traditionally difficult to do at scale. “All that kind of circularity challenges which the recycling industry faced earlier we have solved using AI” Singh explains confidently.
One of their flagship solutions the “Ishitva Analyzer” takes quality control to another level. The device autonomously tests recycled plastic flakes and generates a PPM (parts per million) level purity report. This standardized reporting makes it easier for global brands to trust and source recycled material from Indian recyclers.
It bridges the gap between informal waste systems and international quality benchmarks. The impact of automation has been dramatic. In one case study a client increased daily output from just 2-3 tons to an impressive 18-30 tons per day after adopting Ishitva’s technology. That’s nearly a 9x to 15x jump in productivity. More importantly the client achieved “zero PPM” quality standards, meaning contamination levels were virtually eliminated. Innovation is central to Ishitva’s growth. The company has filed nearly 18 patents protecting its intellectual property in India and overseas.
For Singh this isn’t just about staying competitive; it’s about proving that world-class technology can be built in India. “The customers believing that this kind of technology can be built here in India was very surprising for man Indian companies were very surprised” he admits. Beyond efficiency and profits Singh sees a larger economic opportunity.
He argues that solving the segregation bottleneck will not eliminate jobs but create better ones, both in organized waste collection and in high-tech recycling facilities. Automation in this context strengthens the ecosystem rather than replacing it. “There is only one way to go… we need to convert our waste into resource. It’s a huge opportunity; the next 10 years will be very different for this industry” he says.
The vision
Ishitva’s vision is simple yet powerful: “We sort to create value.” And Singh leaves viewers with a grounded message, “Dream big and there’s nothing which is not possible. Nobody creates value in a single night. It’s a long journey.” In a country grappling with rising waste Ishitva Robotic Systems is proving that technology when applied thoughtfully can turn a crisis into an opportunity for sustainable growth.
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