An ingenious and dedicated entrepreneur, and environmental activist, Medha has developed a technology to convert plastic waste into fuel  while also raising awareness about plastic waste segregation and recycling.

Dr. Medha Tadpatrikar is a serial entrepreneur. She is the  Director of Rudra Blue Planet Environmental Solutions (India) Ltd., Mantraa Research & Consultants Pvt Ltd, Phoenix General Insurance Brokers Pvt Ltd, and Keshav Sita Memorial Trust.

Medha possesses a Ph.D. in management in addition to an MBA from Nottingham University in the UK and an LLB from Pune University. She has pursued an M.Sc. in psychology and earned other diplomas in fields like IPR, journalism, marketing, and forensic science.

For the past 12 years, Medha has worked in the field of management of plastic trash. She says that it all began when she returned to India from the UK and began working with her business partner Shirish Pahdtare at their marketing and research firm. After witnessing the death of a deer in a wildlife sanctuary, she became keen to work on recycling plastic waste. The desire and determination to find a solution to waste plastic resulted in the construction of their first pilot machine in 2010, which successfully transformed waste plastic into useful gasoline. The company operates two plants in the Pune area.

Looking back on her early years, Medha says that she was a mischievous child but being her father's favorite, she never received any disciplinary punishment for her mischievous behavior. She says that she enjoyed spending time with her brother and friends at school. She was a leader in practically all the co-curricular activities, which made her a favorite among her teachers as well. Furthermore, she also had training in Kathak and Bharatanatyam dance.

Speaking about her challenges, Medha says that when her company first headed out on its journey with her new invention, money was a major issue because banks didn't believe in their concept and wouldn't lend to them. But because she and her partner were both adamant that they would not abandon their innovation in any way, they made a strong effort to manage the situation and continued their work. Eventually, the results of their six years of arduous work became noteworthy, and their innovative idea became a profitable venture.

Medha talks about her achievements and how she feels proud of how much she helps the environment by controlling plastic waste. She says they recently received funding from a Singaporean company and were able to ship their machines to Europe as a result. Medha takes satisfaction in saying that her company was featured in a Discovery Channel documentary. Numerous awards, including the ” Yadnyawalka Award,” the Sukhakarta Award, the Pune branch of WIRC of ICAI - Eminent Entrepreneur, and the Phoenix Leading Lady 17 award, have been bestowed upon her.

Medha considers her family as her inspiration. She says that great people like her grandma, mother, and father raised her. They constantly encouraged her to follow her unconventional path and supported her decisions. She also thinks that each person she meets has a unique inspirational journey that motivates her to take on obstacles along the way.

Talking about her experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, Medha says that she and her team only began helping people a few days after the pandemic was made public. By giving police officers and others food packets, sanitizers and masks, she and her team were able to assist the public. She claims that the pandemic gave us a lesson in the significance of nature and interpersonal relationships.

When asked which is more important—education or experience—Medha responds that she believes that learning should continue throughout one's life and has pursued this idea by studying a wide range of subjects. She believes that experience and education go hand in hand. Both are necessary for success and work well together. According to her, education offers a person a perspective to observe and explore the world, but without understanding the reality of employment, a person cannot succeed.

Medha enjoys writing and was once a regular writer for newspapers on  Management and  Social Issues. She enjoys going out with friends and listening to music. She has been actively involved in charitable work, and she is particularly interested in issues affecting women.

Medha's success mantra is to never give up and to keep going no matter what. According to her, resources and people will inevitably join the quest. She says that once she established the "Keshav Sita Memorial Foundation Trust" to raise awareness about plastic waste and about segregation of waste as a means of improving waste management, people began supporting her cause. In and around Pune, this self-funded Trust currently collects plastic waste from more than 45,000 homes, hotels, and companies. Additionally, the foundation has been gathering plastic trash from far-off locations including Baramati, Baneshwar, Raigad Fort, Bhimashankar, Thane, and Dombivali.

Medha advises the youth to consider and investigate waste management, an emerging business. She thinks that as e-waste pollution increases in the upcoming years, young people should see it as a business opportunity. According to her, if a person is creative and able to look outside the box to find a solution, they will quickly develop a great business.