India wastes nearly 74 million tonnes of food every year—around 22% of its total foodgrain production, according to United Nations Environment Programme (2021) data. Much of this food, still perfectly edible, ends up in landfills or compost pits. At the same time, the dairy and poultry industries are battling rising input costs, especially for maize and soya, which form the backbone of animal feed.
What if one problem could help solve the other?
That’s the question that led to the creation of WasteLink, a Delhi-based startup founded in 2018 by chemical engineer Saket Dave and later joined by Krishnan Kasturirangan, his former colleague at cloud communications firm Knowlarity. Today, WasteLink is helping bridge the gap between surplus food and the poultry sector’s need for cost-effective, high-quality nutrition.
From Surplus Food to Animal Nutrition
WasteLink doesn’t call it “food waste”—they prefer the term food surplus. “We use food that’s perfectly good for humans but didn’t reach them in time. By doing this, we prevent it from becoming waste,” Dave explains.
The startup’s flagship product, EcoMix, transforms varied food streams—whether it’s chocolate, spices, or packaged goods—into a consistent animal feed ingredient. For poultry and dairy farmers, the benefits are clear: EcoMix replaces expensive commodities like maize and soya while maintaining nutritional value.
How It Works
The company runs four factories in Sonipat, Lucknow, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. The process includes:
- Inspection & Quality Checks
- Segregation of surplus food
- Unpacking from packaging
- Drying & blending into final formulations
Each batch is tested in-house before being sent to customers. WasteLink also uses its proprietary Wrapper AI platform to manage logistics, routing, and nutritional balance. This ensures that despite daily fluctuations in surplus food inputs, the final product stays consistent in quality and nutrition.
The Business Impact
WasteLink follows a B2B model, selling directly to animal feed manufacturers at Rs 25,000–Rs 35,000 per tonne. The company currently serves 15–20 paying customers, with some suppliers even earning revenue by selling their surplus.
- Revenue in FY25: Rs 27 crore
- Team strength: 80 full-time staff + 250 labourers
- Funding: Raised $3 million Series A from Avana Capital (August 2025)
Dave says, “Earlier, we were more of a trading business. Now we’re a formulation-led product company. Many of our customers’ animals are so used to the taste of our feed that there’s no going back.”
Why This Matters for Poultry Farmers
With feed costs rising sharply in recent years, poultry farmers have been struggling to sustain profitability. WasteLink’s model provides:
- Affordable alternatives to maize and soya
- Stable nutrition despite fluctuating raw material availability
- Sustainable solutions that reduce food waste while boosting animal productivity
For India’s poultry sector, which feeds millions and sustains thousands of livelihoods, innovations like WasteLink represent a win-win for both farmers and the environment.
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