How a Gurugram-based start-up converts air pollutants into ink and paint

Founded by IIT-Delhi graduates, it recently raised Rs 19 crore in Series A round led by IAN Fund, along with IDFC Parampara fund and Jyoti Sagar

Standing by a roadside stall for sugarcane juice in Gurugram, Arpit Dhupar saw the vendor using a small diesel engine to run the juicer and power the crushers. He fitted a pipe to the engine’s exhaust and as he worked, the wall behind him started to turn black due to the carbon emissions. Dhupar thought: “Can this be done purposefully?”

Gurugram-based Chakr Innovation is one of the few start-ups in the country that cash in on air pollution. Founded in 2016 by IIT-Delhi graduates Arpit Dhupar (CTO), Kushagra Srivastava (CEO) and Prateek Sachan (COO), the start-up aims to bring down pollution