The India-EU Ideathon on “Combating Marine Plastic Litter” was officially launched as a joint initiative by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India and the Delegation of the European Union to India, with support from the India-EU Trade and Technology Council Working Group on Green and Clean Energy Technologies. The launch brought together experts, officials, researchers, and innovators from both regions to foster collaboration in addressing the urgent challenge of marine plastic pollution.
In her remarks, Dr. Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary at the Office of the PSA, stressed that the Ideathon represents a joint effort to find solutions that are locally effective yet globally relevant, aligning with the shared India-EU vision for tackling plastic waste. Ms. Signe Ratso, Deputy Director-General for Research and Innovation at the European Commission, highlighted that the initiative strengthens EU-India cooperation on sustainability and addresses the environmental, health, and economic impacts of plastic litter in marine ecosystems.
Additional contributions came from Ms. Nienke Buisman of the European Commission and Dr. Rakesh Kaur of the Office of the PSA, who encouraged participants to generate innovative ideas and explore partnerships for tackling the issue. Presentations by Prof. Hoysala N. Chanakya of the Indian Institute of Science and Mr. John Hanus from the European Commission provided an overview of the current landscape of marine plastic pollution in both India and the EU, stressing the need for coordinated and sustained actions.
The Ideathon set out three central challenges: improving identification and tracking of marine plastics, creating scalable technologies and solutions to reduce plastic litter, and raising awareness to drive behavioural change and community-led action against plastic leakage. With more than seventy-five participants from India and the EU, including researchers, start-ups, businesses, and civil society groups, the event fostered rich discussions and diverse perspectives on tackling marine plastic pollution. Applications for the Ideathon remain open until 2 October 2025.
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