Recykal platform to enable end-to-end traceability under Goa DRS

As deposit return systems take shape in India, the conversation is moving beyond recycling targets to the infrastructure required to make them work at scale. In Goa, the DRS framework is underpinned by a QR-led digital ecosystem designed to track packaging from production to recovery. Rahul Kumar speaks to Vikram Prabakar of Recykal, the scheme operator, to understand the technology behind it.

Rahul Kumar (RK): What role does Recykal play in enabling the digital infrastructure for the Goa Deposit Refund Scheme (DRS), particularly in terms of QR code generation, serialisation, and traceability? 
Vikram Prabakar (VP): As the appointed scheme operator for Goa's DRS, Recykal manages the scheme's digital infrastructure, including generating and managing unique serialised QR codes for participating brands. Each QR code carries embedded product information SKU details and deposit value, enabling end-to-end traceability and verification of every packaging. Under the ambit of the scheme, Recykal is responsible for QR generation, serialisation, and allocation, ensuring full traceability across the DRS ecosystem.

RK: How does the technology platform manage the lifecycle of the packaging from QR code creation and packaging integration to consumer scanning and recycling verification? 
VP: Recykal’s platform manages the complete lifecycle of a DRS product through a secure, QR-based system. Once a SKU is registered, brands can generate unique serialised QR codes through a dedicated portal, with each code embedding key product metadata such as manufacturer details, bottling facility, and SKU information. A deposit value is assigned at the point of generation, ensuring every container in the market carries a defined deposit liability from the outset. These QR codes are then printed on labels or stickers at packaging converters or directly at bottling facilities using variable data printing technologies such as digital, TTO, or laser systems integrated with the DRS software.

When a consumer returns a container at a reverse vending machine or collection centre, the QR code is scanned and validated against the central system for authenticity, deposit eligibility, and redemption status. If verified, the refund is processed instantly via UPI or cash, and the code is marked as redeemed to prevent duplicate claims.

All scan and redemption events are synchronised with the platform in real time, enabling accurate reconciliation of deposits, refunds, and material recovery across the system.

RK: What kind of data management and backend architecture is required to handle millions of unique QR codes while ensuring accuracy, security, and real-time tracking? 
VP: Recykal’s backend architecture is designed for scale, security, and real-time traceability. The QR generation engine is hosted on a scalable cloud infrastructure and is capable of generating up to one crore QR codes per minute, supporting around 1,000 concurrent users and thousands of connected printers. With auto-scaling capabilities, the system dynamically adjusts resources during peak demand, ensuring uninterrupted performance.

To ensure security and uniqueness, every unique scheme identifier (USI) is protected through cryptographic encryption, preventing reverse-engineering or forgery. Collision-free logic, along with hashing and detection mechanisms, ensures that no two QR codes are duplicated. Each code is uniquely tracked, and once the associated deposit is redeemed, its status is marked as “retired,” enabling the system to detect any tampering or duplication during subsequent scans.

In addition, every USI event is permanently recorded with detailed metadata, including timestamps, origin points, and user information, creating a complete and verifiable audit trail. This ensures that each code’s origin and validity cannot be disputed, making the system legally robust for compliance checks. Together, these capabilities enable accurate deposit tracking, prevent fraud, and ensure data integrity across the DRS ecosystem.

RK: How does the Recykal platform integrate with stakeholders across the ecosystem, including beverage brands, printers/converters, retailers, reverse vending machines, and recyclers? 
VP: Our platform integrates with every stakeholder in the DRS ecosystem through a unified, cloud-based infrastructure. Brands generate unique serialised QR codes on demand through a secure portal, using our cloud-hosted cryptographic engine. These codes are then transmitted to integrated printers at label converters or bottling facilities, ensuring that each QR code is unique and printed only once. The platform is designed to be interoperable, allowing any connected printer at the brand or facility level to integrate seamlessly with the system.

At the converter level, printer OEMs integrate their variable data printing systems—whether digital, TTO, TIJ, or laser—with the DRS software. The platform streams serialised QR codes in real time for both pre-print and inline applications, while logging every printed code to ensure batch-level traceability and accountability.

Retailers and return points are connected through collection applications or reverse vending machines. When a container is returned, the QR code is scanned and validated against the central database for authenticity, activation status, and deposit eligibility. Once verified, the system triggers an instant refund, ensuring a seamless and transparent return experience.

RK: What are the biggest challenges in implementing a digital deposit refund system in India, and how can technology help ensure transparency, fraud prevention, and efficient recycling outcomes? 
VP: Implementing a digital deposit refund system in India presents challenges around scale, coordination, and fraud prevention, but these can be addressed through a technology-led approach. A centralised platform enables high-volume QR generation and seamless integration with production lines, even across a fragmented supply chain.

A unified system with real-time data visibility helps coordinate stakeholders across the value chain, while cryptographic serialisation and real-time validation prevent duplication and unauthorised claims. By linking each QR code to its deposit value and tracking it throughout its lifecycle, the platform also ensures accurate reconciliation. Integration with collection infrastructure such as RVMs and digital payments enables quick returns and refunds, while end-to-end traceability ensures that collected packaging is effectively recycled.

RK: Do you see digital DRS platforms becoming a national model for waste management and circular economy initiatives in India, and how is Recykal preparing for large-scale adoption? 
VP: Yes, digital DRS platforms have strong potential to become a national model for waste management and circular economy initiatives in India. With growing regulatory focus on traceability under frameworks like the Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016 and the expansion of deposit-based recovery systems like the Goa DRS, a digital QR-based infrastructure offers the transparency and scalability needed to manage post-consumer packaging at a national scale. A digital DRS creates end-to-end traceability — from QR serialisation at production to consumer returns and recycling verification — ensuring every container placed in the market is accounted for. This enables accurate recovery rate tracking, prevents deposit leakage, and generates reliable data for regulators and producers alike. As India advances toward a circular economy, such systems can serve as the backbone for monitoring material flows across multiple product categories and states.

As for large-scale adoption, Recykal is implementing India’s first digital Deposit Refund Scheme and has already built a comprehensive ecosystem to support brands in seamlessly integrating into the DRS framework, ranging from QR-based lifecycle management and packaging integration to collection infrastructure and recycling verification. This positions Recykal as a benchmark for future DRS rollouts across states and product categories in India.