Tracks of Transformation: The Vision of Mr. Sudip Sen

Saturday, 10 May 2025 | Shreya Kumari

Tracks of Transformation: The Vision of Mr. Sudip Sen

Saturday, 10 May 2025 | Shreya Kumari

Shreya talks to Sudip Sen about his journey in revolutionizing sanitation and public hygiene across India.

Shreya: Mr. Sen, you've transformed the sanitation system of Indian Railways. What inspired you to take on this massive challenge, and how did you implement the changes?

Mr. Sen: I was in the right place at the right time. In 2010, when I joined Stone India Ltd, I adapted Sunrise products to Indian conditions, launched multiwall paper sacks with biodegradable packaging, manufactured with German technology and British collaboration. I also launched imported tools for cutting and processing granites, marbles, and other stones. Luckily, I happened to meet the MD of Stone India Ltd, who had conceived the pathbreaking technology of bio toilets and was looking for someone who would convert this into a viable commercial business. Stone India Ltd, being an 80-year-old engineering company, was selected by the Indian Railways to solve its sanitation problems. Earlier, Railway toilets discharged waste directly onto the tracks, creating cleanliness issues. It was evaluated that India was losing more than 6% of its GDP due to diseases caused by open defecation. Today, all Indian trains use biodigester tanks that eject clean water instead. I feel proud to have contributed to this transformation.

Shreya: Your work during the Kumbh Mela set a new benchmark for public hygiene and waste management. Could you take us through that experience?

Mr. Sen: As the Business Head of Shrachi Group, I led the initiative to provide portable toilets for the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj in 2019, a major challenge given the scale of over 7 crore pilgrims. Previously, open defecation and disease were widespread at these events. With the Government machinery and our 24*7 hard work, we ensured a defecation-free Kumbh by providing 1000+ toilets. Officials from the Guinness Book of World Records declared it the cleanest ever. Truly, "Where there is a will, there is a way"?

Shreya: What has kept you so driven over the years? Was there a particular moment or influence in your life that shaped this purpose?

Mr. Sen: I was drawn to Sanitation through the "Swach Bharat Mission". Even before that, I witnessed various public areas lacking toilets, with over 60% of the population defecating in the open. I knew I had to act. Improving hygiene became my purpose.

Shreya: Your wife is also an advocate for menstrual health and hygiene. What led you both to speak out on this issue, and how are you working to create awareness around it?

Mr. Sen: We implemented various projects funded by Rotary International, including bio toilets for rural girls' schools to prevent dropouts due to poor sanitation. We also noticed a complete lack of awareness about menstrual hygiene among rural women. This is when my wife joined me to provide them with training and awareness. During my visit to China, I noticed many women working. And likewise, we must have the entire female workforce share the burden of nation-building. Since then, both my wife and I have been working for Women Empowerment.

Shreya: Looking ahead, Mr. Sen, when you envision a cleaner India, what does that future look like to you? And how can each of us contribute?

Mr. Sen: I envision a Vikshit Bharat by 2047, which CANNOT be achieved without revolutionising hygiene across all sectors of society. I am committed to contributing my best. My spectrum of activities will now go beyond bio toilets and encompass the entire WASH (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene). Catch up with all the action on www.swachatagreen.in or at Swachata Green Solutions. I request people to join me, as we have miles to go before we sleep!