In 2014, India took a collective pledge to ensure cleanliness, health, and hygiene for all its citizens through the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). This nationwide campaign, driven by the vision of a clean India, has transformed sanitation across both urban and rural landscapes, making cleanliness a priority for millions. By promoting sustainable waste management practices, the mission has empowered communities, improved public health, and sparked a cultural shift towards hygiene. A study in Nature estimated that the SBM programme has been instrumental in averting 60,000–70,000 infant deaths annually since its launch. According to World Health Organization (WHO) data, by 2025, an additional 677.3 million people in India are expected to benefit from improved health and well-being compared to 2018.
While the impact of SBM on public health has been widely documented, its contribution extends far beyond. When governments and communities invest in public health and hygiene, they build infrastructure and institutions that have a ripple effect on multiple aspects of development. By focusing on long-term behavioural change and sustainable impact rather than short-term outputs like toilet construction, SBM has set a movement in motion that will continue to influence health, education, livelihoods, economic growth, women’s empowerment, and the environment in the distant future too.
Take, for example, the livelihood benefits under SBM. In its first phase, when sanitation infrastructure was being developed at a massive scale, over 110 million toilets were constructed, providing direct employment to 2.59 million full-time workers and indirect employment to 4.95 million more. Jobs ranged from labourers and masons to engineers and sanitation workers. More significantly, the program also empowered women, training women masons, known as Rani Mistries, to construct sanitation infrastructure under the mission. These efforts created new livelihoods for women, transforming their role in their communities.
In the second phase of SBM, the focus shifted to solid and liquid waste management, spurring the growth of the waste management industry. This has generated jobs in the collection, transportation, processing, and recycling of waste. Women, once again, play a crucial role through self-help groups (SHGs) leading waste management initiatives. We’ve seen this first-hand through the Light House Initiative (LHI), a public-private partnership led by the India Sanitation Coalition (ISC), the department of drinking water and sanitation (ministry of Jal Shakti), and large corporates through their CSR initiatives. Under LHI, women-led SHGs in rural areas have driven waste collection, educated communities on segregation, and unlocked value from waste through composting and recycling. One inspiring example under LHI involves SHGs turning multi-layered plastic waste into fashionable products like tote bags and planters. These upcycling efforts not only provide livelihoods but also promote sustainability. Vulnerable communities, particularly women, have been empowered to tackle environmental challenges while improving their economic conditions. Additionally, by teaching communities how to manage waste themselves, LHI has promoted local expertise and utilisation of local resources.
Looking forward, the operation and management of SBM models and infrastructure present vast employment potential, particularly for plumbers, sanitation workers, and skilled labourers in the plastic waste management industry. Initiatives like ISC’s Plastic Circularity project are working to mainstream marginalised waste workers, offering them opportunities to establish micro-enterprises in plastic waste management. Through training, capacity building, and access to funding—via CSR funds and blended finance—these workers are becoming integral players in India’s formal waste value chain. The convergence of government schemes, such as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, the National Skill Development Mission, and the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM), further strengthens these efforts. These programmes have supported the upskilling and livelihoods of workers in sanitation and waste management, while initiatives like SBM provide the framework for their application. Organisations like ISC, with support from the private sector, are poised to further scale these initiatives, ensuring that sanitation and waste management continue to drive community empowerment and economic growth.
Ultimately, programmes like SBM are more than just about toilets and waste management—they are about transforming lives. By improving health and hygiene, we improve human capital, driving both individual prosperity and national economic growth. The Swachh Bharat Mission is not just a mission for cleanliness; it is a key driver of societal transformation in India, contributing to improved human capital and national economic growth. SBM’s focus on skilling has not only ensured the programme’s success but has also created a blueprint for sustainable community development that will continue to benefit India for generations to come. Continued funding and support from government will ensure that the country can capitalise on past gains and ensure there is no sliding back to old ways.
This article is authored by Naina Lal Kidwai, co-founder and Chair, India Sanitation Coalition, New Delhi.