ECOIL (KNP Arises)

Operating under the legal entity KNP Arises Green Energy Private Limited, Ecoil is a waste-to-energy enterprise focused on addressing the public health and environmental hazards of improperly disposed used cooking oil (UCO). Founded in 2018 by the husband-and-wife team Sushil Vaishnav and Kirti Vaishnav, along with Neelam Jain and Parul Jain, the Jaipur-based company has developed a tech-enabled reverse logistics network to collect UCO from food businesses and convert it into biodiesel. The inspiration for the company came when Sushil Vaishnav, after returning to India from Dubai, became concerned about food safety and realized that cooking oil was often being reused multiple times. With a background in Dairy Technology, an MBA from Symbiosis, and over 16 years of experience in supply chain management and business development, Sushil serves as the CEO. Kirti Vaishnav, a co-founder, brings expertise in technology, having previously worked with blockchain, smart contracts, and other platforms in various sectors.

Ecoil's business model targets a critical gap in the waste management sector. The company collects UCO from a wide range of clients, including restaurants, hotels, fast-food outlets, caterers, and even temples, across more than 40 cities in India. Revenue is primarily generated by selling this collected and pre-treated UCO to biodiesel manufacturers. This model addresses the issue of UCO re-entering the food chain, a practice linked to severe health problems like heart disease and cancer, while also providing a steady supply of raw material for the biofuel industry. The company differentiates itself from competitors, such as bulk biodiesel plants and unauthorized collectors, by creating an ecosystem to gather even small quantities of oil and by offering a marketplace that ensures better pricing for the businesses disposing of the oil.

The company's service is built around a proprietary mobile application that facilitates ease of collection, scheduling, and traceability. This platform allows food business operators to request pickups, track the entire oil movement, retrieve their collection history, and receive instant certification for compliance purposes. To incentivize participation, Ecoil offers 'Green Points' for every liter of oil disposed of, which can be redeemed by the vendors. The collected oil is taken to a secured warehouse for preliminary treatment before being transported to the nearest biodiesel plant for conversion through a process called transesterification. Since its inception, Ecoil has raised approximately $765K in funding from investors including The Chennai Angels, Shell E4, and AIC Banasthali. The company has gained recognition through appearances on Shark Tank India and has outlined plans to use investment capital to enhance logistics, infrastructure, automation, and talent acquisition.

Keywords: used cooking oil recycling, UCO collection, biodiesel production, waste-to-energy, circular economy, green fuel, environmental services, food waste management, reverse logistics, FSSAI compliance, KNP Arises Green Energy, Sushil Vaishnav, Kirti Vaishnav, sustainable fuel, carbon emission reduction, transesterification, biofuel feedstock, cleantech, Jaipur startup, waste oil management, food safety, public health, Shell E4, The Chennai Angels, Shark Tank India