Industry drives the next turn in India's plastic waste roads innovation

A chemistry professor's technology, developed more than 20 years ago, is being improved upon

It all started more than two decades ago when A P J Abdul Kalam, as a government scientist before he became India’s President, noticed a new technology developed by Rajagopalan Vasudevan, who was then dean and chemistry professor at the Thiagarajar Engineering College in Madurai, that used recycled and shredded plastic for building roads. 

The technology is being used across India to make plastic roads now. Corporate majors like engineering and construction conglomerate L&T have adapted it for their purpose. “For one kilometre (km) of road, I need one tonne of plastic. India has 6 million km (of