At a time when air pollution and the environmental impact of construction remain major concerns, Mumbai-based architect Tejas Sidnal is exploring how industrial carbon waste can be turned into useful building materials. Through his startup, Carbon Craft Design, Sidnal has developed architectural tiles using recovered black carbon, cement, recycled marble powder and marble chips.
Founded in 2020, the initiative aims to give industrial waste a second life while reducing the energy required for conventional tile manufacturing. On February 26, 2026, the Department of Science and Technology’s Technology Development Board (TDB) announced financial assistance to the company to commercialise ultra-low-carbon wall claddings made using recycled quartz waste and geopolymer technology.
The development marks another step in the company’s efforts to promote alternatives to conventional, resource-intensive construction materials.
From An Architectural Question To An Innovation
Sidnal’s interest in sustainable construction began during his architectural education, when he became fascinated by biomimicry, a practice that draws inspiration from nature to address human challenges. He later pursued a master’s degree in Emergent Technologies and Design at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, where he explored the relationship between nature, technology, material science and design. His research led him to question how buildings could be designed with a smaller environmental footprint. He also began looking at the construction industry, which requires large quantities of raw materials and energy and contributes significantly to global carbon emissions.
Rather than treating pollution and industrial waste only as environmental problems, Sidnal explored whether some of these discarded materials could be recovered and repurposed. This thinking eventually led to the development of Carbon Craft Design and its Carbon Tiles. Black carbon, commonly known as soot, is produced through the incomplete combustion of fuels and other carbon-rich materials. It contributes to particulate air pollution and climate change. Carbon Craft Design sources recovered carbon waste from industrial processes, including tyre recycling and factory pyrolysis.
The material is treated and processed before being combined with cement, recycled marble powder and marble chips to create architectural tiles. The company says its manufacturing method does not require the high-temperature kiln firing used in conventional ceramic tile production. Instead, the mixture is pressed into shape, reducing the energy required during manufacturing. According to the company, the process uses approximately one-fifth of the energy consumed by a conventional tile factory. Carbon Craft Design has also worked with artisans in Morbi, Gujarat, combining material innovation with traditional tile-making skills to create products for contemporary architectural spaces.
Government Support And The Next Phase
Carbon Craft Design’s work has expanded beyond its original carbon-based tiles. On February 26, 2026, the Technology Development Board, functioning under the Department of Science and Technology, announced financial assistance to the company for the commercialisation of eco-friendly, ultra-low-carbon-footprint wall claddings. According to the government’s announcement, the agreement will support the establishment of a manufacturing facility for geopolymer-based tiles developed using indigenous technology. The project will use recycled quartz waste and multi-grade quartz sand to manufacture building materials through a process designed to avoid energy-intensive kiln firing.
The government said the initiative is expected to help reduce industrial waste and dependence on imported specialised architectural cladding materials. The announcement also described CarbonCraft as a design and material innovation startup focused on developing low-carbon, circular-economy-based construction products using waste materials. The financial assistance is intended to help move the technology towards commercial production, potentially expanding the availability of alternative materials for the construction sector.
The company’s wider material innovation work also explores converting industrial by-products into products such as tiles, bricks and panels. However, the environmental value of such alternatives depends on more than the waste they reuse. Factors such as the energy required for processing, transportation, durability, product safety and the possibility of recycling the materials at the end of their useful life will also determine their long-term benefits.
While waste-based construction materials offer an alternative to conventional manufacturing, their overall environmental performance needs to be assessed across their life cycle.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The idea of turning industrial waste into useful building materials invites us to reconsider how society approaches consumption, production and environmental responsibility. Pollution should not simply be treated as a problem that disappears once it leaves a factory or enters the atmosphere. Businesses, designers and policymakers must work together to reduce waste at its source, develop safer production methods and make sustainable alternatives more accessible. Initiatives such as Carbon Craft Design demonstrate how innovation can connect environmental concerns with practical solutions, while collaborations with traditional artisans can also create opportunities for local skills and livelihoods.
At the same time, sustainable claims must be supported by transparent evidence about energy use, durability, safety and the actual reduction in environmental impact. Building a cleaner future requires more than individual innovations; it calls for shared responsibility across industries, communities and governments.
Can turning industrial waste into everyday building materials become a practical step towards more sustainable cities?
