When B. K. Soni reflects on his journey, he does not see a straight line of predictable milestones but a path defined by struggle, resilience, and reinvention. His career began in financial services and stockbroking, fields far removed from sustainability or environmental management. Yet through a series of turning points, setbacks, and bold choices, he went on to establish Eco Recycling Limited (Ecoreco), India’s first e-waste management company. His story is not only about building a business but also about reshaping an industry, aligning entrepreneurship with environmental responsibility, and offering India a blueprint for sustainable recycling.

Born and raised in Tarana, District Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, in a family of nine siblings, Soni faced hardship early in life. His father’s passing when he was just twelve left the family in financial struggle, with limited opportunities ahead. He pursued his studies at a small Hindi-medium college, far from the global perspectives and resources that might have given him an easier path. Support came from his elder sister in Calcutta, who gave him a place to stay. Even there, he faced the challenge of limited English proficiency. Encouraged by a fellow student pursuing ICWA, he persevered, building confidence over time and eventually completing his professional qualification, AICWA.

His professional career began in 1980 with a private-sector gas company in Calcutta, where he earned a modest ₹680 a month. Two years later, he moved to Mumbai in search of growth and joined a cement company at over ₹2,000 per month. Life in Mumbai was far from comfortable. He often spent nights sleeping in shops due to the lack of affordable housing, but these early struggles sharpened his resilience. By January 1985, with just ₹525 in hand, he left his job to begin his own consultancy.

The early years of consultancy were humble, filled with small assignments like sales tax registrations and account preparations, while his wife supported the family by conducting Mehendi classes. A turning point came when he earned a commission of ₹1,00,000 for arranging a bank loan. That success encouraged him to expand, eventually leading him into stockbroking. After twelve years of persistence, he secured membership of the National Stock Exchange in 1998, investing nearly ₹60 lakhs. Stockbroking brought financial growth but also exposed him to volatility and risk, prompting him to look for something more stable, enduring, and purposeful.

That search led him, in 2005, to the concept of electronic waste. At the time, India generated less than 150,000 metric tonnes annually, and regulated e-waste management was virtually unknown. Recycling was handled informally, often in hazardous conditions that endangered both people and the environment. To Soni, this presented both a challenge and an opportunity. He engaged with the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board and became the sole industry representative on a seven-member committee tasked with studying the issue. The findings were sobering: e-waste was growing at an alarming rate, and its health impact was severe. This work eventually helped lay the foundation for India’s first e-waste guidelines in 2008 and the rules that followed in 2011, 2016, and 2023.

With conviction, Soni founded Eco Recycling Limited. Initially, he assumed that Indian companies would adopt global principles of recycling. The reality was different: in India, the immediate cash value of waste often outweighed environmental concerns, and informal recycling continued to dominate. Over time, his vision evolved. Ecoreco became not just a business but a mission creating awareness, setting standards, and offering alternatives to harmful practices. The introduction of regulations validated his efforts, even though enforcement remained weak. For Soni, what began as an entrepreneurial opportunity transformed into a lifelong responsibility.

The road was far from easy. Since e-waste recycling was a new concept, there was no skilled manpower available; employees had to be trained from scratch. Many of those trained eventually left to start their own ventures or joined competitors, but Soni accepted this paradox of pioneering by building capacity, he was also building competition. He traveled abroad to learn from industry leaders in the USA, Germany, the UK, and Singapore, many of whom generously shared their expertise and invited him to visit their facilities. These experiences provided the technical knowledge he needed to move forward with confidence.

Financing the business was another hurdle. He relied initially on savings from his stockbroking career and later secured bank loans to build plants and manage working capital. Compliance presented an even greater challenge. Many players in the industry cut corners and ignored regulations, while Soni insisted on following every rule. Some even mocked him for being “too obedient” to the system. Yet he never wavered, convinced that credibility, transparency, and long-term trust were more valuable than short-term gain. This insistence on compliance came to define Ecoreco’s identity and set it apart in an otherwise unregulated market.

There were moments of validation that reaffirmed his choices. His son, Shashank, after completing an MBA in Cardiff, returned to join the company, while his daughter, Chahna, after completing her MSc in Finance at Imperial College London, expressed her intent to contribute as well. Their involvement made Ecoreco a shared family dream, not just his personal journey. Recognition also came at the national level. In January 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Ecoreco’s role in advancing the circular economy and highlighted its “BookMyJunk” app in his Mann ki Baat address. For Soni, this was more than recognition; it was a certificate of trust, validating nearly two decades of perseverance.

Along the way, he drew strength and encouragement from many people. International recyclers offered mentorship, Indian colleagues lent support, and mentors like Vijay Acharya, Bharat Shah, and Dr. Dilip Boralkar played important roles. Above all, he credits his wife, Aruna, as his strongest pillar of support and the blessings of his late mother as a constant guiding presence.

Looking back, Soni describes his mindset as one of conviction and responsibility. His belief was simple: if the world is recycling, India must too, and he was destined to take that first step. There were no clear roadmaps or models to follow, but every obstacle only reinforced his resolve. What began as an entrepreneurial idea became a mission that blended business with national responsibility, creating not just a company but an industry.

The story of B. K. Soni is a testament to resilience and vision. From a small town in Madhya Pradesh to the trading floors of the National Stock Exchange, and eventually to the forefront of India’s sustainability movement, his path reflects the power of perseverance. He turned hardship into strength, risk into opportunity, and business into mission. Today, Eco Recycling Limited stands as both a company and a symbol proof that entrepreneurship, when aligned with responsibility, can transform not just industries but societies. For Soni, the journey has never been only about building a business; it has always been about ensuring that India is prepared for a sustainable future, where opportunity and responsibility go hand in hand.