The e-waste paradox in a hyperconnected world

Where dead devices once piled up, design now thinks ahead. Components click apart, emissions drop, and contracts whisper “recycle me.” This isn’t waste—it’s reinvention, coded into every chip, screw, and clause

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In a world increasingly powered by digital transformation, the irony is hard to miss—while we build smarter devices and smarter cities, the trail of electronic waste we leave behind is anything but intelligent.

At Capgemini, Vijay Chandramohan, Head of Corporate Real Estate Services (CRES) for India and APAC, is at the frontline of this growing challenge. He diveus into how Capgemini is approaching the e-waste crisis—not as a compliance issue, but as a design and innovation opportunity. With a focus on lifecycle thinking, circular economy strategies, and partnerships that prioritize sustainability from procurement to disposal, this isn’t just waste management-it’s future-proofing IT ecosystems.

The smarter our devices get, the shorter their lives become

“The lifecycle analysis of IoT products is crucial to ensure full circularity,” Chandramohan explains. From smart thermostats and sensors to electric vehicle batteries, the list of fast-evolving, short-lived devices keeps growing. Each one comes with complex combinations of rare earth materials, plastics, and sensitive data—making disposal and recycling a delicate, multi-layered process.

And the biggest gap? Lack of standardized recycling regulations. With no unified way to extract valuable materials or securely erase data, even responsible disposal becomes a challenge.

We build sustainability into every contract

At Capgemini India, sustainability begins not at disposal—but at procurement.