Meet Pooja Badamikar: Pune Businesswoman Who Is Turning Scrap Tyres Into Eco-Friendly And Fasionable Foorwear

Pooja Badamikar, an entrepreneur based in Pune is turning scrap tyres into durable and stylish footwear for both men and women. Her startup BlinkGreen innovatively upcycles discarded tyres to create eco-friendly footwear, thus promoting environmental consciousness with sustainable development.

Maharashtra: Pooja Badamikar, a Pune based entrepreneur upcycles scrap tyres to make footwear.

She says, "One billion scrap tyres are discarded annually in the world. I started working with help of local cobblers & made two prototypes. That's how the journey began." (22.12.2020) pic.twitter.com/ffWn6vSZPS

— ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2020

In an interview with ANI news, Badamikar claimed that more than one billion tyres are discarded annually around the world. "This is an alarming situation because the garbage levels are rising around us. We have to think of ways to reduce it and upcycle is the solution to this issue.," said she.

Speaking how her journey as an entrepreneur began, Badamikar, who holds a post-graduate degree in renewable energy said, "I started my journey by working with help of local cobblers and made two prototypes. Later, I participated in a competition hosted by Startup India. I won the award of Upcoming Woman Entrepreneur there. This boosted my potential and we have been working hard since then."

Badamikar explained that the process with the collection of scrap tyres from landfills to reduce waste. Her business refrains from using conventional methods of production like burning and usage of chemicals. So, there is no air and soil pollution during the process. Moreover, no plastic or leather items are used. Hence, the entire process of manufacturing is environment-friendly and the products are purely sustainable.

Who is Pooja Badamikar

Pooja Badamikar worked as a software engineer for more than six years. She then decided to pursue post-graduation in renewable energy. After getting a diploma from TERI School of Advanced Studies, she established her startup in 2018 based on sustainable development.

Woman Entrepreneurs Aiding Sustainable Development

Numerous women are at the forefront of the movements championing ecological conservation and raising environmental consciousness through discourse as well as innovation. We have come across many woman entrepreneurs who have taken up sustainable innovation in their enterprises to ensure that the pace of development goes hand in hand with the preservation and amelioration of the already-ravaged environment. Many women who aced the field of business and e-commerce were awarded SheThePeople’s Digital Women Awards 2020 for their exemplary contribution to the arena of unique and sustainable innovation and development in the fashion industry. One such entrepreneur whose venture produces sustainable and eco-friendly footwear is Shwetha Nimkar

Also Read: Get To Know The Winners Of The Digital Women Awards 2020

Nimkar is the founder of PAIO shoes, a growing brand which produces sustainable, eco-friendly and cruelty-free footwear of great quality and design. The platform provides sustenance to skilled karigars at the grassroots, who have been trained through generations in the art of handmade products. Nimkar’s love for shoes began as a doodle project, and this hobby-turned-passion for textiles, leather, and shoes has grown into a strong business. Read more about here here.

Feature Image Credits: ANI News

Sugandha Bora is an intern with SheThePeople.TV.