ICUC 3.0 Brings Together 400+ Changemakers for Collective Environmental Action

NEW DELHI, Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The third edition of the India Clean-Up Confluence (ICUC 3.0) concluded at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, receiving a warm response as the Mumbai-born platform expanded to the capital for the first time. The two-day event brought together 600+ delegates and 80+ organisations, including NGOs, citizen groups, corporates, CSR leaders, sustainability experts and young people working across different areas of environmental action.

Held on September 19th and 20th as part of World Cleanup Day, ICUC 3.0 featured discussions, mentorship sessions, networking and on-ground action. Pravesh Wahi, Mayor of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, attended the event as Chief Guest and addressed participants with a short speech.

"Delhi needs the active participation of its young people, NGOs and citizen groups to become cleaner. The work cannot be done by the government alone; we have to work together and take these efforts to the ground. I am happy to see platforms like the India Clean-Up Confluence bringing people together, and I hope we can build stronger partnerships with these organisations to work across Delhi's communities and wards," he noted.

The Confluence featured key speakers including Peepal Baba (Environmentalist, Give Me Trees Trust), Ramveer Tanwar (Pond Man of India), Dr. Pulak Bhaumik (CEO, Data Centres, Listenlights), Jagan Shah (Senior Expert, Urban Development Policy and Practice, IIT Delhi), Utsav Kamboj (CEO & Founder, Archea; Architect and Urban Designer), Anjan Rao Puttige (District Cooling Expert, UNEP) and Pratima Singh (Director, Air Pollution and Waste Management, iForest).

"ICUC was created to bring people who are already doing the work together, so they can learn from each other and find ways to work together. This year's edition in Delhi has shown us how much can come from simply creating that space," said Maansi Desai, Co-founder, India Clean-Up Confluence.

Freishia B, Co-founder, India Clean-Up Confluence, said, "The idea has always been to look beyond individual clean-up drives and build a stronger community around environmental action. With ICUC 3.0, we saw organisations, volunteers, corporates and young people come together with the same intent to learn, collaborate and take action."

"We are proud to support ICUC 3.0 and its efforts to bring together changemakers, organisations and communities working towards a cleaner, more sustainable future. The confluence's focus on collaboration and turning environmental intent into action strongly resonates with our belief in making conscious, meaningful choices." said Leshna Shah, Founder at Irasva Fine Jewellery & CCO at With Clarity CEO RD2C Ventures.

Dr. Pulak Bhaumik, Chief Executive Officer - Data Centers @ Listenlights Pvt. Ltd. said "At Listenlights, we believe meaningful change comes from bringing people, ideas and action together. Supporting ICUC 3.0 gave us an opportunity to be part of a platform that brings diverse voices from across India's environmental ecosystem into one conversation. The scale and diversity of this year's confluence is encouraging, and we hope collaborations like these continue to create meaningful pathways for collective environmental action."

A new addition to ICUC 3.0, the Mentor Matchmaker brought NGOs together with experienced professionals from the corporate and business world, creating a space for practical guidance, knowledge-sharing and meaningful connections. The initiative was designed to help participating organisations draw on corporate expertise, strengthen their work and explore new opportunities for collaboration. The first set of pairings included Harit Yuva Foundation with Anuj Ramatri, Lending Hands Foundation with Pulak Bhaumik, Project Mathura with Alok Varma of HCL Foundation, and Swasti Dass Sewa Sansthan with Matthew Mathai.

The Critical Infrastructure: When Development Meets Sustainability session explored how cities can grow and build for the future while keeping environmental needs in focus. Conversations ranged from urban planning, water, energy and waste to technology.

The Green Pay-Cheque session explored the growing career opportunities in the sustainability sector, including how the shift towards a greener economy is creating new roles and pathways for young professionals. The discussion also looked at how AI is changing the nature of work, while many sustainability roles continue to rely on human judgement, creativity, field experience and the ability to work closely with communities and the environment.

The programme also featured an enthralling performance by Mahi J, a rapper and environmental activist bringing a distinctly Gen Z voice to the Confluence and connecting younger audiences with the conversation around environmental action.

The day also saw the recognition of 10 Safai Yodhas working with Chintan in collaboration with the MCD. Each worker received a health package worth ₹15,000, supported by Fortis Escorts New Delhi. ICUC has recognised sanitation and waste workers for the past two years, with this year's programme also amplifying this felicitation with a health check-up component.

The second day took the conversation outdoors with a clean-up at the Red Fort and Angoori Bagh Park, with more than 500 volunteers from across Delhi NCR taking part.

Since its first edition in 2024, ICUC has grown from 200+ delegates and 50 organisations to 350+ participants and 60+ organisations and citizen movements in 2025, with over 60 lakh in reach.

About India Clean-Up Confluence

India Clean-Up Confluence (ICUC) grew out of Carter Clean-Up, founded by Maansi Desai and Freishia B, which has since mobilised 10,000+ volunteers across 245+ beach clean-ups and removed 140,000+ kg of waste and debris from Carter Road.

ICUC aims to connect people working on different environmental challenges, create opportunities for knowledge-sharing and mentorship, and encourage collaboration between grassroots organisations, citizens, corporates and other stakeholders. Its annual Confluence combines conversations and learning sessions with recognition, networking and on-ground environmental action.