UltraTech’s Project Uday Turns Agricultural Waste into Economic Opportunity in Tadipatri

April 09, 2026: UltraTech Cement Limited’s integrated manufacturing unit Andhra Pradesh Cement Works (APCW) has diverted over 800 metric tons of banana pseudostem waste from landfill through a unique model that enables sustainable waste management and rural livelihoods. To tackle the dual challenges of landfill burden and open-air burning of banana waste in Tadipatri, Andhra Pradesh, the unit undertook Project Uday in February 2025. Since its inception, Project Uday has enhanced livelihoods for 500 farmers and 100 local women entrepreneurs by helping them convert agricultural residue into marketable eco-friendly products.

Tadipatri is a designated banana cluster under India’s Agri Export Policy, cultivating around 1,700 acres of banana plantations annually and generating an estimated 41,000 metric tons of pseudostem waste each year. Rich in fibre, sturdy, and biodegradable, pseudostem is well-suited for fibre extraction, composting, and value addition — a potential that Project Uday was designed to unlock.

The initiative was structured as an end-to-end zero-waste value chain, spanning pseudostem collection, fibre extraction, yarn making, weaving, and handicraft creation. APCW partnered with MusaFibral, a technical agency specialising in banana fibre extraction and product development, to establish production processes, set quality standards, and train participants. A second key partner, Vikasa Cooperative Society, a local women’s cooperative, handled community mobilisation and livelihood training.

Project Uday’s first phase trained around 500 farmers to convert banana residues into organic manure and liquid fertilisers, while encouraging them to share surplus biomass for further value addition. The second phase focused on women’s economic empowerment: 100 women from 10 local self-help groups were trained in pseudostem cutting, fibre extraction, weaving, and handicraft production. These women now produce eco-friendly handbags, baskets, laptop sleeves, wall décor, and office accessories. Residual biomass is recycled into compost, liquid fertiliser, and biogas, ensuring complete utilisation. Design guidance from the National Institute of Design (NID) and exposure visits to fibre enterprises in nearby Anantapur further strengthened product quality and market readiness.

Within its first three months (February–April 2025), Project Uday diverted over 800 metric tons of banana pseudostem from landfills and open burning. Finished products are marketed through Vikasa, as well as exhibitions and direct sales.

Funded through the UltraTech Community Welfare Foundation (UCWF), the initiative adopted a ‘build–transfer–sustain’ model, enabling the 100 women to progressively take full ownership of the value chain, from sourcing raw materials to producing and marketing finished goods. Vikasa members have also been introduced to NABARD to explore future financial support and convergence mechanisms.

Project Uday demonstrates how agricultural waste can be transformed into sustainable livelihoods, offering a scalable, replicable model for rural development. The initiative will continue to expand in phases to cover all 2,500 banana-growing farmers in the region.

UltraTech undertakes its social initiatives under the aegis of The Aditya Birla Centre for Community Initiatives and Rural Development, with Mrs Rajashree Birla as its Chairperson. UltraTech’s CSR focus areas are education, healthcare, sustainable livelihoods, community infrastructure, and social causes. UltraTech reaches out to more than 1.8 million beneficiaries in over 500 villages across 16 states in India.