Recykal's platform manages the complete lifecycle of a DRS product

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, whether beverages or other products through a secure, QR-based system spanning stages: 

QR Generation: Once a SKU is registered, brands can instantly generate unique serialised QR codes (USIs) as per their requirement through the brand portal, accessible via email-based login. Each QR embeds key product metadata like manufacturer, bottling facility, SKU data etc. A deposit value is attached to every QR code at the time of its generation, ensuring each container in the market carries a defined deposit liability from the outset. 

Packaging integration: The QR is printed on labels or stickers at the packaging converter or online at bottling facilities using variable data printers (digital, TTO, or laser) which are integrated with the DRS software. 

Consumer return and verification: When a consumer returns the container at an RVM or manual collection centre, the QR is scanned and validated against the central system for authenticity, deposit eligibility, and redemption status. If valid, the deposit refund is instantly processed via UPI or cash, and the USI is marked as redeemed to prevent duplicate claims.

Real-time data flow: Every scan and redemption event syncs back to the DRS platform, enabling real-time reconciliation of deposits, refunds, and material recovery.

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 built for massive scale, security, and real-time traceability, resting on three core pillars:

Scalable cloud infrastructure: The QR generation engine is hosted on AWS and capable of generating up to 1 crore QR codes per minute with 1,000 concurrent users. It supports thousands of simultaneous printers and features auto-scaling to dynamically adjust resources during peak loads, ensuring uninterrupted performance. 

Security and uniqueness safeguards: Every USI (unique scheme identifier) is protected by cryptographic encryption, preventing reverse-engineering or forgery; collision-free logic, hashing and collision-detection ensuring no two QR codes are ever duplicated and tamper and counterfeit detection, where each QR code is uniquely tracked. Once the associated deposit is redeemed, the QR status changes to “retired,” enabling the system to detect tampered or duplicated codes during subsequent scans. 

Audit trail and irrefutability: Every USI event is permanently logged with a timestamp, originating facility, and user details, creating a full, irrefutable audit trail. Once generated, a USI's origin and validity cannot be disputed, making it legally defensible in compliance checks. 

Together, these controls ensure accurate deposit tracking, fraud prevention, and counterfeit protection across the entire 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: Recykal's platform integrates with every stakeholder in the DRS ecosystem through a unified, cloud-based infrastructure: 

Brands: Brands generate unique serialised QR codes on demand through the brand portal (accessible via email-based login), using Recykal's secure, cloud-hosted cryptographic engine. These QR codes are then securely transmitted to integrated printers at label converters or bottling facilities, ensuring each code is unique and printed only once. The platform offers open access to any printer at the brand or facility that can connect with the scheme operator to integrate. 

Printers and packaging converters: Printer OEMs at the label converters and brands integrate their variable-data printers (digital, TTO, TIJ or laser) with the DRS software. The system streams serialised QR codes in real time for both pre-printing and online printing, logging every printed code to maintain batch-level traceability.

Retailers and return infrastructure: Retailers and return points connect via collection applications or RVMs. On container return, the QR is scanned and validated against the central database for authenticity, activation status, and deposit eligibility — triggering the refund instantly upon successful verification.

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 several challenges — but technology-led infrastructure can effectively address each one: 

Supply chain scale and complexity: India's beverage market spans thousands of brands and bottling facilities with diverse packaging formats. Integrating QR marking into high-speed production lines without disrupting manufacturing requires a centralised platform supporting high-volume QR generation, serialisation, and direct printer integration. 

Stakeholder coordination: A DRS involves brands, converters, retailers, collection centres, and recyclers. A unified digital platform with real-time dashboards and data visibility ensures smooth coordination and operational transparency across all stakeholders. 

Fraud prevention: Risks include duplicate QR codes, unauthorised claims, and multiple redemptions. These are mitigated through cryptographic serialization, encryption, geofenced applications, and real-time validation — ensuring each QR is redeemable only once, backed by a full audit trail. 

Deposit reconciliation: Managing deposit flows across millions of containers is complex. Digital platforms link each QR to its deposit value and track its lifecycle, enabling accurate reconciliation and preventing financial leakage. 

Collection infrastructure and consumer convenience: High return rates depend on accessible return channels. Integration with RVMs, mobile collection apps, and digital payment systems (UPI/cash) enables instant container validation and quick refund processing. 

Recycling verification and traceability: Ensuring collected containers are actually recycled requires end-to-end tracking. The platform traces containers from production through redemption to recyclers, generating reliable material recovery data for regulators.

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.