Research by The Ocean Cleanup found that Mumbai’s waterways contribute an estimated 3% of global land-based ocean plastic pollution. This makes the city one of the most impactful places in which to deploy preventative measures to stop plastic from reaching the ocean. 

In early 2026, in close collaboration with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, The Ocean Cleanup was granted permits for the first two Interceptors to be deployed in Mumbai. After successful results during the monsoon season proved that our solutions could withstand severe conditions, new permits were granted for additional deployment sites across Mumbai in collaboration with our local implementation partner Plastic Fischer.

To fast-track our scale up in the city, The Ocean Cleanup has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) to formalise a collaborative framework to increase the interception of plastic waste in Mumbai’s waterways before it reaches the ocean.

From 2024 to 2025, we partnered with TERI to study plastic pollution across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region using advanced technologies such as AI, remote sensing, GPS trackers, water level sensors, drones, and on-the-ground surveys. The findings revealed that 80% of this pollution comes from just 30% of its waterways.

Most of the waste is carried during the monsoon season, while tidal flows move plastic both downstream and upstream, making the challenge even more complex. These insights have given us a clear roadmap for action, showing that more than 50 strategically placed deployment sites are needed to effectively “close the tap” on plastic pollution across the region.

We work closely with our valued local partners to ensure long term impact. The partnerships provide direct funding, local expertise and network to optimize our operations while ensuring that community needs are taken into consideration.