Sustainability challenge is no longer intent. It's accountability: Rumjhum Gupta, EcoMS

As sustainability becomes a business imperative rather than a compliance exercise, companies are looking for credible ways to measure and manage their environmental impact. In this conversation, Rumjhum Gupta, Founder & CEO of EcoMedia Solutions (EcoMS), talks about building a sustainability-tech venture, the opportunities and challenges of entrepreneurship, the role of AI in sustainability, and her vision for scaling the business globally.

It has been almost a year since you launched EcoMedia Solutions. Looking back, what has surprised you the most about building and scaling the company?

If I had to use the word "surprise," I would say it has been more a pleasant surprise than an unexpected one because when we started this journey, we knew we were building something innovative and path-breaking. The ambition was always to create something that could genuinely change how sustainability is measured and managed.

What has pleasantly surprised me is the level of curiosity I have seen from prospective clients and stakeholders. People are willing to listen. They are willing to engage. They are genuinely interested in understanding sustainability beyond the buzzwords. That openness has been encouraging.

Another pleasant surprise has been the team. Everything we are doing is new. We are creating solutions and frameworks that did not exist in this format before. I had no idea I would come across such incredible talent, including many young professionals and fresh graduates who were excited about building something meaningful. The speed at which we were able to assemble a capable and passionate team has been remarkable.

When you launched EcoMedia Solutions, what specific gap in the market were you trying to solve? Has your vision evolved over the last year?

There are multiple gaps in the sustainability ecosystem. In fact, I became acutely aware of many of these gaps while pursuing a one-year sustainability programme at MIT.

The challenge is not that sustainability as a subject lacks depth. The real gap lies in understanding and implementation. Sustainability is ultimately about impact, and impact has to be measured. Unless organisations can measure their impact accurately, they cannot manage it effectively.

When I started EcoMedia Solutions, the vision was to create a market-ready solution that could address these gaps in a practical way. It wasn't enough to simply identify the problem. The solution had to be usable, scalable and relevant to business realities.

Over the last year, that vision has only become stronger. The objective remains the same: helping organisations measure, manage and communicate sustainability in a credible and meaningful manner.

Every new venture has a defining moment in its first year. What has been EcoMedia Solutions' defining breakthrough?

I would say the defining moment has been market acceptance.

We realised very early that organisations were not looking for isolated sustainability services. They wanted a complete solution. That insight led us to position EcoMedia Solutions as an end-to-end sustainability partner.

EcoMeter, our assessment platform, is only one part of the offering. We help clients assess their environmental impact, generate reports, make informed purchasing decisions, reduce their carbon footprint and even support offsetting initiatives.

The breakthrough came when we successfully tested this complete ecosystem with multiple clients. We have worked with government entities, agencies and private organisations, demonstrating that a holistic sustainability model is not only possible but highly relevant.

Building credibility is often one of the biggest challenges for a startup. How did you approach that challenge?

One of the first things we did was file a patent. That was a very deliberate decision.

We worked with leading intellectual property experts and immediately moved to protect the innovation behind our solution. That gave us a strong foundation when engaging with clients because it demonstrated that what we had built was genuinely unique.

Beyond the patent, credibility comes from intent and execution.

There is often a perception that sustainability, particularly within advertising and communications, can become a form of greenwashing. My experience has actually been different. What I have seen is that many CEOs, CMOs and business leaders genuinely want to create a positive impact.

The challenge is translating those intentions into measurable outcomes. That is where we come in. We help organisations bridge the gap between intent and impact.

Every entrepreneurial journey comes with challenges. What were some of the biggest hurdles you faced?

The biggest hurdle was probably myself. The decision to become an entrepreneur is first an internal battle. Before you convince clients, investors or partners, you have to convince yourself that you are ready to take the plunge.

Once that mental hurdle is crossed, everything else becomes manageable.

Of course, like any startup, we faced technical challenges, operational challenges and market-entry challenges. Convincing large companies to work with a young organisation is never easy.

However, one of the surprises I mentioned earlier was the ecosystem we have been able to build. We have developed strong partnerships and collaborations that complement our capabilities and strengthen our overall offering. That ecosystem has helped us overcome many of the early challenges.

Growth is important, but sustainable growth is equally critical. What is your philosophy when it comes to scaling the business responsibly?

For me, scaling is not just about growing vertically. We started with the advertising and media industries because those sectors presented a clear opportunity and a significant gap. However, real growth means expanding into other industries and solving sustainability challenges across a wider spectrum.

Today, we are already exploring additional sectors and industries where sustainability measurement and reporting remain underdeveloped.

Our objective is to build end-to-end solutions that cover the entire lifecycle. That means everything from procurement and assessment to recycling, reuse and giving products a second life. That broader impact is what I define as meaningful growth.

AI is reshaping industries around the world. How is artificial intelligence influencing sustainability and your business specifically?

AI is a powerful enabler. It provides scale, depth and the ability to process information in ways that were previously difficult or impossible.

Sustainability is fundamentally data-driven. The platform we are building relies on large volumes of data and numerous parameters that need to be assessed accurately.

Traditional tools often rely on broad assumptions and generic emission factors. They may not account for local variables, transportation impacts, regional emission factors or real-world operational differences.

AI allows us to become much more granular. It helps us source information, analyse data and calculate environmental impact with far greater accuracy. Ultimately, that leads to better decision-making and more meaningful sustainability outcomes.

As a woman entrepreneur building a business in a highly specialised sector, what have been your biggest learnings?

I prefer not to view entrepreneurship strictly through the lens of gender because business challenges are universal.

However, one strength many women possess is the ability to manage multiple responsibilities simultaneously. We are often natural multitaskers. For me, the biggest learning has been understanding the relationship between relevance and resilience.

As a founder, the solution you build must remain relevant. At the same time, you must develop resilience because building a company inevitably involves uncertainty, setbacks and constant adaptation.

The combination of relevance and resilience has influenced many of the decisions I have made over the last year.

Looking back, what is the one decision you are most proud of?

Launching the company. Stepping into a relatively new space and building a business around an emerging opportunity required courage and conviction.

I strongly believe in taking the first step. Once you commit yourself to a journey and approach it with the right intent and energy, opportunities begin to emerge.

Starting EcoMedia Solutions was the boldest decision I made, and it remains the one I am most proud of.

 EcoMedia Solutions has already earned recognition, including success at GoaFest. Did you expect this level of recognition so early in the journey?

I have always been confident about the innovation behind our work. A great deal of thought, research and personal investment has gone into developing the solution. My MIT experience, my earlier professional exposure and my understanding of sustainability all contributed to shaping the business.

At the same time, recognition is never achieved alone. The support of our clients has been extraordinary. Some of the industry's leading organisations have trusted us despite being a young company. Their support, along with the encouragement of my family and team, has helped us navigate this journey successfully.

 As you enter your second year, what are the key priorities for EcoMedia Solutions?

The first priority is sectoral expansion. We are actively exploring industries such as automotive and construction, where sustainability measurement and reporting can create significant value. Discussions are already underway with potential partners and clients.

The second priority is scaling EcoMeter and strengthening the platform further.

The third priority is international expansion. We are already working on extending our patent protection into other geographies. Once that process progresses, we will begin exploring markets such as Southeast Asia and North America.

India has become an excellent testing ground for innovation. The belief is that if a sustainability solution can work successfully here, there is every possibility that it can be replicated globally.

Finally, what keeps you optimistic about the future?

What gives me confidence is the combination of innovation, talent, partnerships and market readiness.

Organisations today understand that sustainability can no longer remain a reporting exercise. It must become measurable, actionable and accountable.

That is exactly what we are trying to build. We are creating solutions that help organisations move beyond intent and towards real, measurable impact. That opportunity is what excites me most about the future.