PNN
New Delhi [India], December 10: Spruce Up Industries, a Pune-based, cleantech Indian manufacturer of specialized sanitation equipment, has been named to the Forbes India | D Globalist Entrepreneur Mobility Summit (DGEMS) 2025 "Select 200". The recognition proves that "Make in India" technology is highly effective and ready to succeed on the world stage in the waste management industry.
The selection marks a significant operational milestone for founders Abhishek Shelar and Sumedh Bhoj, who have previously been named to Forbes Asia's 30 Under 30 list. Over the past decade, the company has scaled from a niche startup to a significant player in the sanitation infrastructure space, deploying over 300 machines across 24 states in India and exporting units to four international markets.
Engineering Driven by Public Health Data
The company was founded in 2015 to address a specific gap in India's urban infrastructure: the prevalence of manual scavenging and the inability of conventional sweepers to handle irregular waste piles. Mr. Abhishek Shelar (Founder & CEO), an alumnus of IIT Bombay and Harvard University, founded the company to mechanize hazardous waste collection. The leadership team was subsequently fortified by Mr. Sumedh Bhoj (Co-founder & CRO), an alumnus of the SP Jain School of Global Management, who left a corporate career in Dubai to oversee commercial operations.
This division of labor allowed Mr. Shelar to develop technology while Mr. Bhoj focused on growing the market. This enabled the company to engineer products specifically adapted to Indian road conditions, rather than relying on retrofitted imported designs.
The "Jatayu" Effect on Municipal Operations
India faces a staggering challenge with visible litter and accumulating garbage piles, commonly seen along roadways and in public spaces. Traditional solutions like large mechanical sweeper trucks and manual laborers were not good enough to handle this scale of scattered, mixed waste. Manual collection is unsafe and cannot be sustained long-term. It forces cleaners to deal with hazardous mixed garbage, and it was clearly not working to clean up the garbage piles seen everywhere.
To address this critical gap, Spruce Up introduced the Jatayu vacuum-operated garbage suction machine. As a pioneer in its field, the Jatayu was the first machine of its kind in India. Operating as a giant vacuum cleaner, the machine was designed with modular booms to pick up heavy, wet, and hazardous litter from unauthorized disposal locations (black spots), drainage perimeters (nalas), abandoned plots, and overflowing bins. The Jatayu is recognized as India's only truly contactless garbage suction machine.
The machine's adoption has been widespread enough that in several municipal jurisdictions, vacuum-based litter pickers are now colloquially referred to as "Jatayus." The technology gained particular relevance during the COVID-19 pandemic, as onboard disinfectant systems enabled the sanitization of waste before collection, mitigating risk for sanitation workers. It is India's only truly contactless garbage suction machine.
Operational data and client feedback highlight the shift from manual to mechanical collection:
Workforce Safety: In a formal recommendation, the Dehradun Cantonment Board described the machine as an "invaluable asset" that enables "contactless" waste collection. The Board noted that the technology allows even unskilled workers to operate the machine easily, providing "huge relief" to personnel previously engaged in manual collection.
Long-term Reliability: The Raipur Municipal Corporation recently issued a performance certificate citing the company's "timely delivery" and "commendable" after-sales support. Industrial applications have shown similar longevity; a Deputy General Manager at TVS Motor Company recently noted that their facility has been utilising the Jatayu system for seven years, describing it as "perfectly alright" and effective for their industrial requirements.
Expansion into Advanced Sweeping
Following the market penetration of the Jatayu Super, Spruce Up has expanded its portfolio with the Stratus Sweeper. The development of the Stratus involved five years of R&D, facilitated by Mr. Shelar's relocation to the United States under an Einstein Visa (EB-1), a classification granted to individuals with extraordinary ability in their field.
The Stratus combines the suction technology of the Jatayu with global-standard sweeping mechanics, utilising world-class components to ensure durability.
Strategic Localization
The inclusion in the Forbes India | DGEMS select 200 2025 list highlights a growing trend where Indian companies are replacing imported heavy machinery in India's heavy machinery sector. By manufacturing domestically, Spruce Up (https://spruce-up.com/) reduces shipping costs and avoids the problem of insufficient spare parts, which often occurs with imported trucks.
Indian municipalities prioritize efficiency and longevity: the equipment offers global engineering standards with a local supply chain, ensuring that the push for a cleaner India is sustainable in the long term.
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