Walk the Talk: How Shriyans Bhandari is Upcycling Millions of Footwear into Impact with Greensole.

Greensole began as a small idea in college when Shriyans Bhandari noticed that athletes throw away shoes long before they are truly unusable. That simple observation slowly grew into a startup story that many young founders in India look at with curiosity. By collecting discarded footwear, refurbishing them, and getting them to children who walk long distances without proper shoes, the venture built a model that blends purpose with steady business growth. It shows how Indian entrepreneurship often rises from a mix of personal experience and a wish to solve a real problem faced by communities.

The journey of Greensole did not start with grand investment plans. It started with trial and error, with Shriyans trying to figure out how to recycle soles and rebuild uppers without making the shoes look odd. The early batches were far from perfect but the response from schools and local groups kept him going. Many people in the Indian business world often talk about scale, but here the focus stayed on quality and on reaching rural students who rarely get attention from mainstream markets. This helped Greensole stand out in a crowded startup space where brand storytelling matters as much as revenue.

Greensole grew through partnerships with corporates who wanted to support social projects. Shriyans and his team reached out to companies that were already thinking about sustainability in supply chains. These early conversations helped the venture expand collection points, improve the refurbishing process and create steady demand for large donation drives. The startup also drew interest from sports communities, schools and city volunteers who wanted to contribute their old shoes instead of throwing them into landfills. Over the years this helped the brand gain a loyal network that played a key role in its rise.

The larger mission behind Greensole speaks to the shifting direction of Indian entrepreneurship. Many founders today look at social impact as a core part of their business idea rather than an afterthought. Shriyans often talks about giving children the confidence that comes with wearing proper footwear, especially when long walks to school are a daily routine. This story resonates strongly with readers because it blends the emotional pull of a human problem with a realistic path to growth. It matches the larger push for responsible startups in India that focus on sustainability, recycling and resource conscious production.

Greensole has now refurbished more than a million pairs, and the number keeps rising. The brand also began selling eco friendly footwear made from recycled materials, giving it a commercial arm that supports its social work. For many young founders this offers a useful example of how a simple idea from campus life can turn into a startup that creates steady impact. Shriyans Bhandari continues to expand the work with calm confidence, showing that growth in Indian business can stay rooted in social purpose without losing momentum.